Transposon Mutagenesis of the Zika Virus Genome Highlights Regions Essential for RNA Replication and Restricted for Immune Evasion.

ABSTRACT: The molecular constraints affecting Zika virus (ZIKV) evolution are not well understood. To investigate ZIKV genetic flexibility, we used transposon mutagenesis to add 15-nucleotide insertions throughout the ZIKV MR766 genome and subsequently deep sequenced the viable mutants. Few ZIKV insertion mutants replicated, which likely reflects a high degree of functional constraints on the genome. The NS1 gene exhibited distinct mutational tolerances at different stages of the screen. This result may define regions of the NS1 protein that are required for the different stages of the viral life cycle. The ZIKV structural genes showed the highest degree of insertional tolerance. Although the envelope (E) protein exhibited particular flexibility, the highly conserved envelope domain II (EDII) fusion

SUBMITTER: Fulton BO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5512254 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature