Human Sertoli cells support high levels of Zika virus replication and persistence.

ABSTRACT: Zika virus is a teratogenic mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that is associated with birth defects in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. The virus can also be sexually transmitted, but currently, very little is known about the cell types supporting virus replication and persistence in human testes. Using primary cell cultures, we observed that Sertoli but not Leydig cells are highly susceptible to Zika virus infection, a process that is dependent on the TAM family receptor Axl. In cell culture, Sertoli cells could be productively infected with Zika virus for at least 6-weeks. Infection of Sertoli cells resulted in dramatic changes to the transcriptional profile of these cells. The most upregulated mRNA in infected cells was basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2), a cytokine that

SUBMITTER: Kumar A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5883016 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature