A Mutation Identified in Neonatal Microcephaly Destabilizes Zika Virus NS1 Assembly in Vitro.

ABSTRACT: An unprecedented epidemic of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection had spread to South and Central America. ZIKV infection was recently confirmed by CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to cause neonatal microcephaly, which posed a significant public health emergency of international concern. No specific vaccines or drugs are currently available to fight ZIKV infection. ZIKV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) plays an essential role in viral replication and immune evasion. We determined the crystal structure of ZIKV NS1_172-352, which forms a head-to-head, symmetric dimer with a unique 14-stranded β-ladder conserved among flaviviruses. The assembly of the β-ladder dimer is concentration dependent. Strikingly, one pathogenic mutation T233A (NCBI accession no. KU527068), found in

SUBMITTER: Wang D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5309781 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature