Computational prediction of highly conserved CD8+ and CD4+ T cell epitopes in bluetongue virus: A promising data for developing broad-spectrum bluetongue vaccine

Abstract Bluetongue (BT) is an economically important arboviral disease of sheep, cattle, goats, and wild ruminants, particularly in America Europe. However, it has remained uncontrolled due to the evolution >32 serologically distinct BT virus (BTV) serotypes lack broad-spectrum vaccines. While outer VP2 VP5 proteins, involved cell penetration, are less conserved, certain core BTV proteins NS1, NS2, NS3, VP7 have higher amino acid conservancy. Here, using silico epitope mapping multiple sequence alignment, we analyzed all antigenic for presence conserved T epitopes recognized by different mammals. We find that mouse Major Histocompatibility Complex-I (MHC-I) present VP7, MHC-II-conserved VP7; bovines, Bovine Leukocyte antigen class-I II-(BoLA-I & II)-conserved proteins. The these from selected mammals, including bovine closely related believe they also likely be presented MHCs primary natural host sheep. Thus, harnessing this knowledge developing a pan-BTV vaccine would confer protection against sheep bovines. grateful start-up funding Department Microbiology Immunology, Faculty Medicine, Dalhousie University. PPCM wishes acknowledge support EU H20:20 grant ‘PALE-Blu’ (project number 727393-2).