Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Why Zika Virus Hijacks a Protein Needed for Brain Growth
The mosquito-borne Zika virus is known for causing microcephaly, a birth defect in which abnormal brain development results in a smaller-than-expected head. A new study in mBio shows that the Zika virus hijacks a host protein called ANKLE2, which happens to be important for brain development, to assist its own reproduction. Because Zika, unlike most related viruses, can cross the placenta, this can have disastrous consequences in pregnancy.
“It’s a case of Zika being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Priya Shah, associate professor in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of California, Davis and senior author of the paper.
The new work, supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, shows that related viruses, including dengue virus and yellow fever virus, also use ANKLE2 for the same purpose. The discovery could open the way to new strategies to develop vaccines or therapeutics against these viruses.
