Proteome-wide screening for designing a multi-epitope vaccine against emerging pathogen Campylobacter jejuni using immunoinformatics approaches

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, often resulting in severe complications such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and reactive arthritis. The rising prevalence of antibiotic-resistant strains underscores the urgent need for alternative preventive measures, such as vaccines. This study employs a comprehensive immunoinformatics approach to design a multi-epitope vaccine targeting C. jejuni. Out of the 1,800 proteins in the C. jejuni proteome, the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) was identified as the most antigenic candidate, with a VaxiJen score of 0.5059. MOMP was further analyzed to predict cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and helper T lymphocyte (HTL) epitopes, using tools such as NetCTL, IEDB, and VaxiJen. The selected epitopes were evaluated for immunogenicity, allergenicity, and toxicity, ensuring their suitability for vaccine development. Additionally, linear B-cell epitopes (LBL) were predicted to induce humoral immunity. The identified CTL and HTL epitopes were also analyzed for global population coverage, achieving significant inclusivity across diverse HLA alleles. The proposed vaccine construct integrates these epitopes to stimulate robust cellular and humoral immune responses, offering a promising candidate for further experimental validation. This study highlights the potential of computational methods in accelerating vaccine design and provides a framework for addressing the significant global burden of C. jejuni infections.