The combination of type I IFN, TNF-α, and cell surface receptor engagement with dendritic cells enables NK cells to overcome immune evasion by dengue virus.

Clinical studies have suggested the importance of the NK cell response against dengue virus (DenV), an arboviral infection that afflicts >50 million individuals each year. However, a comprehensive understanding of the NK cell response against dengue-infected cells is lacking. To characterize cell-contact mechanisms and soluble factors that contribute to the antidengue response, primary human NK cells were cocultured with autologous DenV-infected monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC).

Microscopy techniques in flavivirus research.

The Flavivirus genus is composed of many medically important viruses that cause high morbidity and mortality, which include Dengue and West Nile viruses. Various molecular and biochemical techniques have been developed in the endeavour to study flaviviruses. However, microscopy techniques still have irreplaceable roles in the identification of novel virus pathogens and characterization of morphological changes in virus-infected cells.

Optimized sequential purification protocol for in vivo site-specific biotinylated full-length dengue virus capsid protein.

Dengue virus (DENV) capsid (C) protein is one of the three structural proteins that form a mature virus. The main challenge impeding the study of this protein is to generate pure non-truncated, full-length C proteins for structural and functional studies. This is mainly due to its small molecular weight, highly positively charged, stability and solubility properties.

Specific interaction of capsid protein and importin-alpha/beta influences West Nile virus production.

West Nile virus (WNV) capsid (C) protein has been shown to enter the nucleus of infected cells. However, the mechanism by which C protein enters the nucleus is unknown. In this study, we have unveiled for the first time that nuclear transport of WNV and Dengue virus C protein is mediated by their direct association with importin-alpha.