A conserved RNA structure at the capsid-coding sequence of Zika virus genome is required for viral replication in a host-dependent manner.

ABSTRACT: Flaviviruses are emerging and re-emerging pathogens causing widespread epidemics worldwide. Their RNA genomes play multiple roles during infection, folding into dynamic structures that regulate viral processes. To understand the mechanisms of flavivirus infection and to design genetic tools for viral countermeasures, it is important to dissect functional RNA structures present in viral genomes. Here, we investigate RNA structures within the open reading frame of the Zika virus (ZIKV) genome that regulate viral replication. We identified a functional stem-loop structure, SL1, located within the conserved C1 element in the capsid protein coding sequence of mosquito-borne flavivirus genomes. The integrity of the SL1 structure was crucial for viral RNA amplification in mosquito cells and enhan

SUBMITTER: Costa Navarro GS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12645915 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature