Evaluating immunogenicity of synthetic peptides derived from predicted B cell eptopes of tilapia lake virus (TiLV) in nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) | |
| Author | Khaing Cin Thant |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.AQ-25-01 |
| Subject(s) | Tilapia--Diseases--Prevention Fishes--Immunology--Evaluation |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The Tilapia tilapinevirus (also known as tilapia lake virus, TiLV) is a serious pathogen that harms the tilapia and affects the global world\'s aquaculture production. Vaccination is the most effective method to prevent disease caused by viral infection. However, production of the viral antigen using cell culture is costly. This study explored an alternative approach: using predicted B cell epitopes from TiLV and investigating the immunogenicity of these peptides in tilapia. Twenty-three B cell epitopes (P1-P23) were predicted from TiLV proteins encoding genome segments 4, 5, 6 and 8 using the IEDB dataset. . All twenty-three peptides were able to interact with the MHC II through molecular docking. Twenty-two peptides were successfully synthesized. Subsequently, Nile tilapia was immunized with each peptide (80 ug/fish) by intraperitoneal injection, and then received a booster dose at 15 days after the primary immunization (dpi) to investigate the their immunogenicity. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) confirmed that 22 synthetic peptides showed immunogenicity. Subsequently, neutralizing assays using fish cell line were conducted to identify whether synthetic peptides were capable of neutralizing TiLV and preventing viral infection. The result showed that, of all the peptides tested, only P23 showed the ability to neutralize TiLV. In conclusion, the preliminary findings in this study suggest that P23 derived from TiLV segment 8 is a potential candidate for peptide vaccine development for prevention of TiLV infection in tilapia. |
| Year | 2025 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development |
| Department | Department of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (Former title: Department of Food Agriculture, and BioResources (DFAB)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AQ) |
| Chairperson(s) | Ha, Thanh Dong |
| Examination Committee(s) | Salin, Krishna R.;Loc, Thai Nguyen |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Partial AIT Scholarships;UMG Scholarship |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2025 |