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Global RNAseq of ocular cells reveals gene dysregulation in both asymptomatic and with Congenital Zika Syndrome infants exposed prenatally to Zika virus. Exp Cell Res 2022 May 15;414(2):113086

Date

03/15/2022

Pubmed ID

35283101

DOI

10.1016/j.yexcr.2022.113086

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85126854632 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   3 Citations

Abstract

In 2015, Brazil reported an outbreak identified as Zika virus (ZIKV) infection associated with congenital abnormalities. To date, a total of 86 countries and territories have described evidence of Zika infection and recently the appearance of the African ZIKV lineage in Brazil highlights the risk of a new epidemic. The spectrum of ZIKV infection-induced alterations at both cellular and molecular levels is not completely elucidated. Here, we present for the first time the gene expression responses associated with prenatal ZIKV infection from ocular cells. We applied a recently developed non-invasive method (impression cytology) which use eye cells as a model for ZIKV studies. The ocular profiling revealed significant differences between exposed and control groups, as well as a different pattern in ocular transcripts from Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) compared to ZIKV-exposed but asymptomatic infants. Our data showed pathways related to mismatch repair, cancer, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling and genes probably causative or protective in the modulation of ZIKV infection. Ocular cells revealed the effects of ZIKV infection on primordial neuronal cell genes, evidenced by changes in genes associated with embryonic cells. The changes in gene expression support an association with the gestational period of the infection and provide evidence for the resulting clinical and ophthalmological pathologies. Additionally, the findings of cell death- and cancer-associated deregulated genes raise concerns about the early onset of other potential pathologies including the need for tumor surveillance. Our results thus provide direct evidence that infants exposed prenatally to the Zika virus, not only with CZS but also without clinical signs (asymptomatic) express cellular and molecular changes with potential clinical implications.

Author List

Rosa-Fernandes L, Bedrat A, Dos Santos MLB, Pinto AMV, Lucena E, Silva TP, Melo RCN, Palmisano G, Cardoso CA, Barbosa RH

Author

Amina Bedrat PhD Postdoctoral Researcher 3 in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Eye
Female
Humans
Infant
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious
Zika Virus
Zika Virus Infection