Computer-Aided Design of an Epitope-Based Vaccine against Epstein-Barr Virus

Figure 1

Structural mapping of selected experimental EBV-specific B cell epitopes. Conserved EBV epitopes map onto two different regions of the 3D structure of gp350 (PDB code: 2H6O): QVNYLIPETVPYIKWDN and YVFYSGNGPKASGGDYCIQS map at the glycan-free surface of the CR2 receptor binding site; SKAPESTTTSPTLNTTGFA maps at the C-term tail of the PDB. (a) General view of gp350 featured as ribbon with B cell epitopes highlighted in red, blue, and purple. Protein regions of the selected epitopes are zoomed in panels (b, c, d). We show in sticks the part of the epitopes that exhibited greater flexibility and accessibility which was ultimately selected for the proposed vaccine ensemble. In ribbon, we show the B cell epitope residues that do not comply with the flexibility and accessibility criteria (typed in a minor case in the corresponding sequence indicated at the bottom of each panel). Figures were rendered using PyMOL.

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