همایش ملی بیوانفورماتیک ایران

صفحه اصلی / 4th international edition and 13th Iranian Conference on Bioinformatics

Distribution and Allelic Diversity of Outer Membrane Proteins in Helicobacter pylori: Implications for Vaccine Development and Therapeutic Approach

نویسندگان :

Mohammadreza Najafi Disfani¹ Mahyar Abdi² Sarvin Rezvani Bafroyeh³ SeyedehRomina Lavasani⁴ Parastoo Saniee⁵

1- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 2- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 3- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 4- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 5- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

کلمات کلیدی :

Helicobacter pylori،Outer Membrane Proteins،Genetic Diversity،Whole-Genome Sequencing،Bioinformatics Analysis

چکیده :

Helicobacter pylori is a pathogen that affects over half of the global population, thriving in the acidic gastric environment due to the diversity and adaptability of its antigenic structures. Among these structures, outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are critical for bacterial adhesion, immune evasion, and antibiotic resistance, significantly contributing to the bacterium's pathogenicity and persistence. Despite extensive research, the genetic diversity and distribution of OMPs, particularly in high-prevalence regions such as Iran, remain underexplored. This study investigates the presence and diversity of OMP genes in H. pylori using whole-genome sequencing to provide insights into its evolutionary dynamics and potential therapeutic targets. Gastric biopsy samples from 30 Iranian patients were used to isolate H. pylori strains, which were subjected to whole-genome sequencing at a UK-based facility. A custom Python-based automated alignment tool integrated with BLAST+ was developed to analyze the sequences of 61 identified OMP genes regarding their presence, absence, and genetic novelty. This comprehensive approach enabled the identification of patterns in gene distribution and diversity. Analysis revealed substantial variation in the 61 OMP genes. Notably, hopC, hopV, horA, and horJ showed 100% prevalence, while babC, hopO, and hopU were absent in all strains. The average gene presence across all analyzed strains was 75%, with the identification of 611 novel alleles. Among the investigated genes, nine exhibited the highest diversity, each contributing 14 novel alleles. These findings highlight the extensive genetic variability in H. pylori OMPs and the evolutionary pressures influencing their distribution. This study demonstrates significant genetic variation and distribution patterns in H. pylori OMP genes, with some genes consistently present and others entirely absent. The observed diversity underscores the critical roles of these genes in bacterial adaptation, pathogenicity, and potential resistance mechanisms. These findings provide valuable insights for therapeutic and vaccine development, offering targets for managing H. pylori-related diseases in high-prevalence populations. By identifying both conserved and variable OMP genes, this work lays the foundation for future strategies aimed at combating this globally significant pathogen.