Viperin is an important host restriction factor in control of Zika virus infection.

ABSTRACT: Zika virus (ZIKV) infection has emerged as a global health threat and infection of pregnant women causes intrauterine growth restriction, spontaneous abortion and microcephaly in newborns. Here we show using biologically relevant cells of neural and placental origin that following ZIKV infection, there is attenuation of the cellular innate response characterised by reduced expression of IFN-β and associated interferon stimulated genes (ISGs). One such ISG is viperin that has well documented antiviral activity against a wide range of viruses. Expression of viperin in cultured cells resulted in significant impairment of ZIKV replication, while MEFs derived from CRISPR/Cas9 derived viperin^-/- mice replicated ZIKV to higher titers compared to their WT counterparts. These results sug

SUBMITTER: Van der Hoek KH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5493656 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature