The evasion of the Interferon response has important implications in Zika virus (ZIKV) disease. Mutations in ZIKV viral protein NS4B, associated with modulation of the interferon (IFN) system, have been linked to increased pathogenicity in animal models. In this study, we unravel ZIKV NS4B as antagonist of the IFN signaling cascade. Firstly, we reported the genomic characterization of NS4B isolated from a strain of the 2016 outbreak, ZIKV Brazil/2016/INMI1, and we predicted its membrane topology. Secondly, we analyzed its phylogenetic correlation with other flaviviruses, finding a high similarity with dengue virus 2 (DEN2) strains; in particular, the highest conservation was found when NS4B was aligned with the IFN inhibitory domain of DEN2 NS4B. Hence, we asked whether ZIKV NS4B was also able to inhibit the IFN signaling cascade, as reported for DEN2 NS4B. Our results showed that ZIKV NS4B was able to strongly inhibit the IFN stimulated response element and the IFN-γ-activated site transcription, blocking IFN-I/-II responses. mRNA expression levels of the IFN stimulated genes and were also strongly reduced in presence of NS4B. We found that the viral protein was acting by suppressing the STAT1 phosphorylation and consequently blocking the nuclear transport of both STAT1 and STAT2.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/v13122448 | DOI Listing |
Unlabelled: Zika virus (ZIKV) infection can lead to a variety of clinical outcomes, including severe congenital abnormalities. The phosphatidylserine (PS) receptors AXL and TIM-1 are recognized as critical entry factors for ZIKV . However, it remains unclear if and how ZIKV regulates these receptors during infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Virol
December 2024
1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Flaviviruses utilize the cellular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for all aspects of their lifecycle. Genome replication and other viral activities take place in structures called replication organelles (ROs), which are invaginations induced in the ER membrane. Among the required elements for RO formation is the biogenesis of viral nonstructural proteins NS4A and NS4B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomol NMR Assign
November 2024
Experimental Drug Development Centre, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
Zika virus has raised global concerns due to its link to microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. One of viral nonstructural proteins-NS4B, an integral membrane protein, plays crucial roles in viral replication by interacting with both viral and host proteins, rendering it an attractive drug target for antiviral development. We purified the N-terminal region of ZIKV NS4B (NS4B NTD) and reconstituted it into detergent micelles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
August 2024
Institute for Molecules and Materials, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Orthoflaviviruses, including zika (ZIKV), West Nile (WNV), and dengue (DENV) virus, induce severely debilitating infections and contribute significantly to the global disease burden, yet no clinically approved antiviral treatments exist. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of small-molecule drug development targeting orthoflaviviral infections, with a focus on NS2B-NS3 inhibition. We systematically examined clinical trials, preclinical efficacy studies, and modes of action for various viral replication inhibitors, emphasizing allosteric and orthosteric drugs inhibiting NS2B-NS3 protease with in vivo efficacy and in vitro-tested competitive NS2B-NS3 inhibitors with cellular efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Pharmacol
July 2024
Beijing Key Laboratory for Green Catalysis and Separation and Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China.
Zika Virus (ZIKV) is a positive-strand RNA virus that can lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome or encephalitis in some individuals and hence presents a serious public health risk. Since the first outbreak of ZIKV in Brazil in 2015, no effective clinical inhibitors have been developed, making the development of effective ZIKV drugs an urgent issue that needs to be addressed. ZIKV belongs to the Flaviviridae family, and its structure includes three structural proteins, namely, capsular (C), premembrane (prM), and envelope (E) proteins, as well as seven nonstructural proteins, namely, NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, and NS5.
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