Characterization of cis-Acting RNA Elements of Zika Virus by Using a Self-Splicing Ribozyme-Dependent Infectious Clone.

ABSTRACT: Zika virus (ZIKV) has caused significant outbreaks and epidemics in the Americas recently, raising global concern due to its ability to cause microcephaly and other neurological complications. A stable and efficient infectious clone of ZIKV is urgently needed. However, the instability and toxicity of flavivirus cDNA clones in Escherichia coli hosts has hindered the development of ZIKV infectious clones. Here, using a novel self-splicing ribozyme-based strategy, we generated a stable infectious cDNA clone of a contemporary ZIKV strain imported from Venezuela to China in 2016. The constructed clone contained a modified version of the group II self-splicing intron P.li.LSUI2 near the junction between the E and NS1 genes, which were removed from the RNA transcripts by an easy-to-establish in v

SUBMITTER: Liu ZY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5640849 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature