Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Global Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks and their link to microcephaly have raised major public health concerns. However, the mechanism of maternal-fetal transmission remains largely unknown. In this study, we determined the role of yolk sac (YS) microglial progenitors in a mouse model of ZIKV vertical transmission. We found that embryonic (E) days 6.5-E8.5 were a critical window for ZIKV infection that resulted in fetal demise and microcephaly, and YS microglial progenitors were susceptible to ZIKV infection. Ablation of YS microglial progenitors significantly reduced the viral load in both the YS and the embryonic brain. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that YS microglial progenitors serve as "Trojan horses," contributing to ZIKV fetal brain dissemination and congenital brain defects.
Source: PLoS neglected tropical diseases
Institution: The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,350
Awards: World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses (WRCEVA), Antiviral Drug Discovery and Development Center (AD3C), Discovery of Zika virus therapeutics using a replicon assay, Revolutionary Eilat-based Chikungunya Vaccine Vector, A novel system using human fetal brain neural stem cell to model ZIKV infection, G9000273270
OpenAlex ID: W3039825645