Analysis of lipoprotein SPD_0792 from Streptococcus pneumoniae as a potential vaccine candidate

Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a major global health threat, especially in young children and the elderly. Although vaccines are available, polysaccharide-based (serotype-specific) formulations are limited by high costs and rising serotype replacement. As a result, there is growing interest in developing a broadly protective, protein-based vaccine. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate SPD_0792, a putative lipoprotein, as a potential vaccine candidate. Sequence analyses revealed high conservation and surface localization. The presence of multiple B-cell and helper T-cell epitopes in SDP_0792 were identified. Structural modelling and refinement using the GalaxyRefine server confirmed a stable fold comprising of 38.9% α-helices. SPD_0792 was successfully cloned, expressed and partially purified. These findings support the potential of SPD_0792 as a novel, serotype-independent antigen for next-generation pneumococcal vaccines.