Nat Struct Mol Biol: Study reveals how Zika virus suppresses immune response

August 14, 2020 /--- In a recent study, a team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside outlined how the Zika virus suppresses the immune system of its host.
virus is mainly transmitted through mosquito bites.
no vaccine or antiviral drugs have been approved for the virus.
is a common strategy for successful viral infections," said Jijui Song, a professor of biochemistry and co-author of the study.
our work provides valuable structural and functional information on the interactions between the Zika virus and its hosts, as well as a framework for the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs.
" (Photo: www.pixabay.com) The study was published in the journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology.
Song explains the steps to suppress the host's immune response in an article.
the Zika virus encountered its first line of defense in the host's response via type I interferon or IFN.
IFN is a natural substance secreted by infected cells that helps the host's immune system fight infection.
zika virus infects cells, the unstructic protein NS5 is presented, which interacts with the STAT2 protein, a key player in the Type I IFN pathway.
between the Zika virus NS5 and STAT2 degrades STAT2, thereby suppressing the type I IFN response.
the study involved first addressing the crystal structure of a complex between the Zika virus's NS5 fragments and STAT2.
this crystal structure led researchers to solve the frozen EM structures of the Zika virus NS5 and STAT2, and then led them to propose models of how the Zika virus NS5 inhibits human STAT2. "Understanding the molecular-level interactions between Zika virus NS5 and host immunogenictor STAT2 opens a new window for the rational design of live vaccines and antiviral drugs," said
, an assistant professor of virology and co-lead of the study.
interactions between viruses and hosts may also provide an important method for drug development against SARS-CoV-2.
next, the researchers will study the structure and function of the SARS-CoV-2 protein to identify new targets for COVID-19.
(bioon.com) Source: Study provides insights into how Zika virus suppresses the host immune system Original source: Boxiao Wang et al, Structurals basis for STAT2 suppression by flavivirus NS5, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41594-020-0472-y.