Polygenic viral factors enable efficient mosquito-borne transmission of African Zika virus.

ABSTRACT: Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne orthoflavivirus primarily transmitted among humans by Aedes aegypti. Over the past two decades, it has caused significant outbreaks associated with birth defects and neurological disorders. ZIKV consists of two main genotypes: the African and Asian lineages, each exhibiting distinct biological properties. African lineage strains are transmitted more efficiently by mosquitoes, but the genetic basis for this difference has been elusive. Here, we investigate this question by comparing recent African and Asian strains using chimeric viruses with swapped genome segments. Our results show that structural genes from the African strain enhance viral internalization, while non-structural genes improve genome replication and infectious particle production in mos

SUBMITTER: Torii S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12575611 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature