Phylogenesys and homology modeling in Zika virus epidemic: food for thought.

ABSTRACT: Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging Flavivirus that have recently caused an outbreak in Brazil and rapid spread in several countries. In this study, the consequences of ZIKV evolution on protein recognition by the host immune system have been analyzed. Evolutionary analysis was combined with homology modeling and T-B cells epitope predictions. Two separate clades, the African one with the Uganda sequence, as the most probable ancestor, and the second one containing all the most recent sequences from the equatorial belt were identified. Brazilian strains clustered all together and closely related to the French Polynesia isolates. A strong presence of a negatively selected site in the envelope gene (Env) protein was evidenced, suggesting a probable purging of deleterious polymorphisms in functi

SUBMITTER: Angeletti S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5189860 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct - Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature