De Novo Structural Modeling and Conserved Epitopes Prediction of Zika Virus Envelop Protein for Vaccine Development

Zika virus (Zika V) is a positive single-stranded RNA virus that is transmitted by mosquito bites. Zika V Envelop protein is antigenic and is involved in fusion and entry of viral particles into the cell. Till date, there is no vaccine and antiviral drug available against Zika V. Thus, there is a need to develop a vaccine against Zika V. This study was designed for the prediction of B cell and T cell epitopes that can be helpful in diagnosis and vaccine designing against this emerging threat. For this purpose, several B cell and T cell epitopes were predicted that are conserved among Zika virus genomes taken from 12 different countries. Peptides QTLTPVGRL, in case of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, and IRCIGVSNRDFV, in case ofMHC class II, are highly antigenic among T cell epitopes. Molecular docking was performed to study the interactions of B cell epitopes with HLA-B7. However, these predicted epitopes could play a constructive role in designing of a vaccine against Zika V.