Immunoinformatic profiling of AdeR unveils novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

Abstract

 Background: Multidrug-resistance A. baumannii is a Gram-negative, opportunistic pathogen and a major contributor to the global healthcare crisis, particularly in nosocomial infections.

Objective: To identify conserved epitopes in AdeR protein of MDR-Acinetobacter baumannii for the development of antibody-based sensors for early detection and intervention.

Methods: The AdeR gene from four MDR-A. baumannii isolates was cloned into the pET21a vector, sequenced, and aligned using BioEdit. B-cell and T-cell epitope predictions were made using the IEDB servers. The threedimensional structure of AdeR was modeled using the Swiss-Model server, with molecular visualization performed in PyMOL.

Results: The analysis of AdeR sequences from four MDR-A. baumannii isolates revealed a high degree of conservation, particularly in the N-terminal domain, and identified key epitopes for immune recognition. The three-dimensional structures of AdeR were identical across isolates, despite minor sequence variations. B- and Tcell epitope predictions showed strong conservation, supporting the potential of AdeR as a target for diagnostic tools. These findings suggest that antibodies targeting AdeR could provide an effective candidate for detecting MDR infections. Finally, AdeR’s conserved structure and immunogenic regions make it a promising candidate for early detection and management of MDR-A. baumannii infections.

Conclusion: The conserved structure and immune recognition sites of AdeR across MDR-A. baumannii isolates make it a promising target for antibody-based diagnostic tools. This approach could enable early detection and more effective management of MDR infections.