Novelty Search Promotes Antigenic Diversity in Microbial Pathogens

Autor: Brandon Ely, Winston Koh, Eamen Ho, Tasmina M. Hassan, Anh V. Pham, Weigang Qiu
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Pathogens, Vol 12, Iss 3, p 388 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2076-0817
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12030388
Popis: Driven by host–pathogen coevolution, cell surface antigens are often the fastest evolving parts of a microbial pathogen. The persistent evolutionary impetus for novel antigen variants suggests the utility of novelty-seeking algorithms in predicting antigen diversification in microbial pathogens. In contrast to traditional genetic algorithms maximizing variant fitness, novelty-seeking algorithms optimize variant novelty. Here, we designed and implemented three evolutionary algorithms (fitness-seeking, novelty-seeking, and hybrid) and evaluated their performances in 10 simulated and 2 empirically derived antigen fitness landscapes. The hybrid walks combining fitness- and novelty-seeking strategies overcame the limitations of each algorithm alone, and consistently reached global fitness peaks. Thus, hybrid walks provide a model for microbial pathogens escaping host immunity without compromising variant fitness. Biological processes facilitating novelty-seeking evolution in natural pathogen populations include hypermutability, recombination, wide dispersal, and immune-compromised hosts. The high efficiency of the hybrid algorithm improves the evolutionary predictability of novel antigen variants. We propose the design of escape-proof vaccines based on high-fitness variants covering a majority of the basins of attraction on the fitness landscape representing all potential variants of a microbial antigen.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals