In-Silico Evaluation of the Capsid Proteins of FMDV as Potential Vaccine Candidates

In this study, the capsid proteins of four major serotypes of Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) were assessed as the vaccine candidates. Different protein sequences regarding FMDV capsid of O, A, Asia 1 and C type were identified from NCBI Genome Database and UniprotKB. Phylogenetic tree of the four serotypes was developed using ClustalW software. HMMTOP, RANKPEP, Swiss-Model and Vaxign software were used for comparing the capsid proteins in terms of their feasibility as vaccine candidates. The virus and viral serotype were identified from the cultured disease sample using RT-PCR. Our results revealed that different capsid proteins of the four serotypes vary in their suitability to be considered as peptide vaccine components. Viral protein 1 (VP1) for Asia 1 serotype represented the best result as a vaccine candidate. The VP1 region of Asia 1 serotype amplified based on the result of dry lab analysis. Our findings provide a future indication of multivalent vaccine development against FMDV.