Structural Characterization and Functional Annotation of Hypothetical Proteins in the Multidrug-Resistant Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

INTRODUCTION: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of severe nosocomial infections worldwide. This opportunistic pathogen is associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates due to its high levels of antibiotic resistance. The identification of novel therapeutic targets is therefore a pressing global health priority. This study aims to identify potential drug targets and vaccine candidates through structural characterization and functional annotation of hypothetical proteins (HPs) commonly found in multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains.

METHODS: The multidrug-resistant and carbapenem-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were retrieved from genomic databases and 15 common HPs among these resistant strains, with a minimum length of 200 amino acids, were obtained and bioinformatics tools were employed to predict the structural, functional, and immunological properties of these common HPs.

RESULTS: Two common HPs (gene ID: 2877781443 and 2877781545) were identified as the most promising drug and vaccine candidates among the investigated HPs based on their structural and physicochemical properties, functional domains, signals peptides, subcellular localization, pathogenicity factors, toxicity, antigenicity, and allergenicity.

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will contribute to the development of novel vaccine and drug candidates against Pseudomonas aeruginosa through experimental validations.