Project description:Zika virus (ZIKV) compromises the placental integrity infecting the fetus. However, the mechanisms associated with ZIKV penetration into the placenta leading to fetal infection, are unknown. Cystatin B (CSTB), the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), and tyrosine-protein kinase receptor UFO (AXL) have been implicated in inflammation. The purpose of this work iis work aims to investigate CSTB, RAGE, and AXL receptor expression in ZIKV infected placental tissues at term. The hypothesis is that in ZIKV-infected placenta, there is overexpression of CSTB and increased inflammation affecting the RAGE and AXL receptor expression. Pathological analyses of 22 placentas were performed to determine changes caused by ZIKV infection. Quantitative proteomics, immunofluorescence, and Western Blot analysis were performed to analyze proteins and pathways affected by ZIKV infection in frozen placenta. Pathological The pathological analysis confirmed decreased size of capillaries, hyperplasia of Hofbauer cells, disruption in the trophoblasts layer, and cell agglutination associated to with ZIKV infection of placental tissue. ZIKV infection was mostly localized to the trophoblast layer. There was a significant decrease in the expression of CSTB, RAGE and AXLCSTB, RAGE and AXL expression in ZIKV positive placenta. This downregulation can impair immune responses and facilitate virus penetration into the placenta. Results are consistent with our previous studies and literature of on ZIKV infection by activation ofng Inflammasome and Pyroptosis through caspase 1 upregulation and affecting the cellular structure, tissue remodeling, and cell differentiation by upregulation of tubulin beta and heat shock protein 27.
Project description:Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted positive-sense RNA virus in the family Flaviviridae. ZIKV infections are associated with neurodevelopmental deficiencies termed Congenital Zika Syndrome. ZIKV strains are grouped into three phylogenetic lineages: East African, West African, and Asian, which contains the American lineage. RNA virus genomes exist as genetically-related sequences. The heterogeneity of these viral populations is implicated in viral fitness, and genome diversity is correlated to virulence. This study examines genetic diversity of representative ZIKV strains from all lineages utilizing next generation sequencing (NGS). Inter-lineage diversity results indicate that ZIKV lineages differ broadly from each other; however, intra-lineage comparisons of American ZIKV strains isolated from human serum or placenta show differences in diversity when compared to ZIKVs from Asia and West Africa. This study describes the first comprehensive NGS analysis of all ZIKV lineages and posits that sub-consensus-level diversity may provide a framework for understanding ZIKV fitness during infection.
Project description:Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy results in an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and vertical transmission across placenta results in severe congenital defects in newborns. While the infectivity and pathological effects of ZIKV on the placental trophoblast progenitor cells in early human embryos remains largely unknown. Here, using the human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) isolated from human blastocyst, we showed that hTSCs were permissive to ZIKV infection, while resistance to ZIKV increased with differentiation. Combined CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout and RNA-seq assays, we demonstrated that the intrinsic expression of AXL and TIM-1, as well as the absence of potent interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs), contributed to the high sensitivity of hTSCs to ZIKV. Furthermore, using our newly developed hTSC-derived 3 dimensional (3D) placental trophoblast organoid model, we demonstrated that ZIKV infection completely disrupted the structure of mature hTSC-organoids and inhibited syncytialization. Overall, our results clearly demonstrated that hTSCs represented the major target cells of ZIKV, and a possible reduced syncytialization may result from ZIKV infection of early developing placenta. These findings deepened our understanding of the characteristics and consequences of ZIKV infection of trophoblast stem cells in early human embryo.
Project description:Here we use a proteomic approach to study the role of the placenta in ZIKV-induced microcephaly and the mechanisms of ZIKV to cross the placental barrier. Samples were separated into three groups: an uninfected control group (ZIKV-CZS-), a group of placentas infected by ZIKV with normal neonates (ZIKV+CZS-), and a group of placentas infected by ZIKV that developed microcephaly in newborns (ZIKV+CZS+). Zika virus causes DNA damage and impairs gene expression and mRNA translation during infection of the placenta. Processes related to viral transcytosis, like endocytosis, autophagy and disruption of actin filament were also observed in CZS-infected placentas, which could lead to a higher virus infiltration. Unncontrolled maternal immune response as well as greater expression of cellular adhesion proteins in the decidua could lead to a disruption of tolerance during pregnancy and induction of neurological malformation of the neonates
Project description:Zika virus (ZIKV) infection has caused severe unexpected clinical outcomes in neonates and adults during the recent outbreak in Latin America, particularly in Brazil. Congenital malformations associated with ZIKV have been frequently reported; nevertheless, the mechanism of vertical transmission and the involvement of placental cells remains unclear. In this study, we applied quantitative proteomics analysis in a floating explant model of chorionic villi of human placental tissues incubated with ZIKV and with ZIKV pre-adsorbed with anti-ZIKV envelope protein. The regulation of specific proteins was measured using immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase assays. Altered levels of proteins were involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, inflammatory processes, and the integrin-cytoskeleton complex. Antibody-opsonized ZIKV particles differentially modulated the pattern of protein expression in placental cells; this phenomenon may play a pivotal role in determining the course of infection and the role of mixed infections. These data fill gaps in our understanding of ZIKV in the placenta and help identify infection control targets.
Project description:Zika virus (ZIKV) infection of maternal and placental cells at the maternal-fetal interface is associated with a spectrum of adverse pregnancy outcomes including fetal demise and pregnancy loss. Trophoblast cell types that comprise the placenta include cytotrophoblasts, syncytiotrophoblasts (STs), and extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs). To determine which trophoblast cells are permissive to ZIKV and to understand how infection impacts cellular gene expression, we utilized a macaque in vitro trophoblast stem cell (TSC) model. TSCs were derived from primary cytotrophoblasts and represent a proliferative trophoblast that can be differentiated into STs and EVTs. TSCs and ST3Ds (STs grown in suspension) were highly permissive to infection with ZIKV strain DAK AR 41524, whereas EVTs maintained a level of resistance to productive infection. The impact of ZIKV on cellular gene expression was determined by transcriptomic and miRNAome analysis. Infection of TSCs and ST3Ds results in increased expression of immune related genes, including those in the type I and type III interferon response. ZIKV exposure impacts EV protein, mRNA, and miRNA cargo, regardless of productive infection. Altogether, these findings suggest TSCs and STs of the macaque are permissive to ZIKV infection and that EV analysis has the potential to identify ZIKV infection. These findings provide a foundation for further ZIKV study and allow for potential ZIKV infection biomarker identification in a highly translational model.
Project description:To identify the various host factors involved in ZIKV infection, we compared the transcriptional profile for ZIKV-infected human first-trimester placenta trophoblast cell (HTR8) and glioblastoma astrocytoma (U251-MG). Our results demonstrated that the common IFN, inflammatory cytokine, and chemokine production were activated upon ZIKV infection of these two cell types while serval DEGs were enriched in distinct biological processes related to the characteristics of cell types. Our findings identified multiple host factors associated with ZIKV pathogenesis and potential treatment of congenital zika syndrome (CZS)
Project description:We and others have demonstrated Zika virus (ZIKV) congenital infection evades double-stranded RNA detection, and may persist in the placenta for the duration of pregnancy without accompanying overt histopathologic inflammation. We used orthogonal approaches to test the hypothesis that ZIKV disrupts placental miRNAs to enable viral persistence and fetal pathogenesis. In primary human trophoblasts, high-throughput sequencing crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (AGO-HITS-CLIP) demonstrated an unexpected disruption of placental miRNA-regulated TGF-β networks. In gnotobiotic mice, absence of microbes rendered normally resistant mice susceptible to congenital ZIKV infection, and placental spatial transcriptomics revealed distinct microenvironments defined by significant upregulation of complement cascade components. Finally, treatment of ZIKV-infected mice with the RNAi-enhancer enoxacin led to loss of ZIKV placental persistence and rescue of fetal growth restriction. These results collectively suggest that ZIKV co-opts miRNA inflammatory regulatory networks to persist in the placenta reservoir, a conduit of vertical transmission and fetal pathogenesis.
Project description:We and others have demonstrated Zika virus (ZIKV) congenital infection evades double-stranded RNA detection, and may persist in the placenta for the duration of pregnancy without accompanying overt histopathologic inflammation. We used orthogonal approaches to test the hypothesis that ZIKV disrupts placental miRNAs to enable viral persistence and fetal pathogenesis. In primary human trophoblasts, high-throughput sequencing crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (AGO-HITS-CLIP) demonstrated an unexpected disruption of placental miRNA-regulated TGF-β networks. In gnotobiotic mice, absence of microbes rendered normally resistant mice susceptible to congenital ZIKV infection, and placental spatial transcriptomics revealed distinct microenvironments defined by significant upregulation of complement cascade components. Finally, treatment of ZIKV-infected mice with the RNAi-enhancer enoxacin led to loss of ZIKV placental persistence and rescue of fetal growth restriction. These results collectively suggest that ZIKV co-opts miRNA inflammatory regulatory networks to persist in the placenta reservoir, a conduit of vertical transmission and fetal pathogenesis.