Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, which bite during the day. The virus is associated with an increased risk of neurologic complications because Zika virus proteins bind to cellular proteins required for neural development, suggesting a new study.
A study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPI-B) shows that the Zika virus can lead to intellectual disabilities and other serious neurological disorders. They examined how the Zika virus influences human brain cells. They identified the virus proteins with the potential to affect neuronal development in the developing brain.
Andreas Pichlmair, Chair for Viral Immunopathology at TUM, said, “Zika virus is closely related to the Hepatitis C virus and certain tropical diseases such as Dengue and West Nile virus. It is, however, the only virus that causes brain damage in newborns.”
The virus contains several cellular proteins to replicate its own particular genome. These atoms are additionally essential neurological factors during the time spent a foundational microorganism forming a nerve cell. When the group headed by Pichlmair evacuated the factors in the cells, the infection thought that it was substantially harder to recreate. The analysts could exhibit which infection proteins interact with these advancement factors and cause brain defects.
Pichlmair said, “Previous studies revealed the virus proteins necessary for the packaging or replication of the viral genome, but it was enigmatic to understand how these proteins influence neuronal development. It appears that viral proteins are responsible for causing the serious defects in the unborn – unintentionally, we presume.”
Scientists, during the study, identified cell proteins that were changed artificially or numerically by the infection or bound to virus proteins. Along these lines, they were not just ready to outline conceivable purposes behind the caused deformations, yet additionally acquired a reasonable picture of how the virus reinvents the cell to utilize it for its own particular replication.
Pichlmair said, “Our comprehensive dataset will hopefully lead the way for other scientists to develop therapeutic approaches for the elimination of Zika or related viruses.”
Journal Reference
- Scaturro, P., Stukalov, A., Haas, D.A. et al. An orthogonal proteomic survey uncovers novel Zika virus host factors. Nature 561, 253–257 (2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0484-5