Department of Biology, Shahed University, Tehran-Qom Express Way, Opposite Imam Khomeini's shrine, Tehran 3319118651, Iran.
J Theor Biol. 2012 Feb 7;294:29-39. doi: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2011.10.026. Epub 2011 Nov 6.
Acinetobacter baumannii is a problematic nosocomial pathogen. The resistance to a wide range of antimicrobial agents, attributable to its biofilm phenotype, makes the treatment very difficult. Biofilm is a common feature of most pathogens. Biofilm associated proteins (Bap) are cellular surface components directly involved in biofilm formation process. The dearth of a fast precise diagnostic test and versatility of Bap sequences in A. baumannii were intuitions to design this study. In silico analysis is a reliable alternative to laborious experimental work in this connection. Databases were searched for an antigenic conserved region of Bap specific to A. baumannii. The region was selected based on alignments and propensity scales. Tertiary structure for this region was built and predicted B-cell epitopes were mapped on the surface of the built model. Our protein subunit was found to be a potential antigen, possessing several antigenic determinants, eliciting antibody. Hence this subunit could be used as a suitable agent for antibody-antigen based diagnostic test. This specific antigen can minimize laboratory errors in identification of A. baumannii and thus help clinicians to quick and precise diagnosis of the bacteria and initiatives to the treatment of the infection. Antigenicity of the region could also be explored for elicitation of antibody to protect the individuals exposed to A. baumannii.
鲍曼不动杆菌是一种具有问题的医院病原体。其生物膜表型导致对广泛的抗菌药物的耐药性，使得治疗非常困难。生物膜是大多数病原体的共同特征。生物膜相关蛋白（Bap）是直接参与生物膜形成过程的细胞表面成分。缺乏快速准确的诊断测试以及鲍曼不动杆菌中 Bap 序列的多功能性，促使我们设计了这项研究。在这种情况下，计算机分析是对繁琐的实验工作的可靠替代。为了寻找针对鲍曼不动杆菌的 Bap 特定的抗原保守区域，我们在数据库中进行了搜索。该区域是基于比对和倾向度尺度选择的。该区域的三级结构被构建，并在构建模型的表面上绘制了预测的 B 细胞表位。我们的蛋白质亚基被发现是一种潜在的抗原，具有多个抗原决定簇，能够引发抗体。因此，该亚基可用作基于抗体-抗原的诊断测试的合适试剂。这种特定的抗原可以最大程度地减少实验室在鉴定鲍曼不动杆菌时的错误，从而帮助临床医生快速准确地诊断细菌，并采取措施治疗感染。该区域的抗原性也可以被探索以引发针对鲍曼不动杆菌的抗体，从而保护接触该细菌的个体。
