Prediction of HLA-A * 0201-binding peptides of HBV related proteins using integrated method

WANG Shufeng; SHANG Xiaoyun; GONG Yuanxin; WU Yuzhang

Abstract：Objective To predict the HLA-binding peptides with the restriction of HLA-A * 0201 within the HBsAg, HBcAg and DNA polymerase of HBV. Methods The integrated methods and the predictors in servers of SYFPEITHI, BIMAS, SVMHC,IEDB, and EpiJen were used to predict HLA-A * 0201 binding peptides of proteins P03146, 1303138, and P03156. Then the deter-mined poptides were compared with the experimental binders extracted from epitope databases. Results The integrated prediction method increased the prediction specificity and sensitivity simultaneously, and had higher accuracy in the prediction with the misclassifi-cation rates (MR) ( 1.14%, 3.41%, 1.46% for three proteins, respectively). A panel of novel potential HLA-A * 0201-binders had been predicted by this method, HBcAg: ELMTLATWV (64-72), LMTLATWVGV (65-74); HBsAg: LMTLATWVGV (246-254),IIFLFILLL ( 244-252 ), FLFILLLCLI ( 246-255 ), SLYSILSPFL( 367-375 ), and LLCLIFLLVL ( 251-260) ; DNA polymerase: SLFTAVT-NFL(513-522), GLLGFAAPFT(554-563 ) ; and a "hot spot" within HBsAg: FIIFLFILLLCLIFLLVLLDYQGMLPVCPLI (243-273).Conclusion The integrated method has more advantage in identification of HLA-binding peptides for a given protein; the potential epitopes and the immunological hot spot discovered by this method provide valuable clues for further investigation.