Proteomic profile of neural stem cells and neurospheres infected with dengue and zikva virus strains

Author(s)

Danielle Gouvêa Junqueira

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia
• Defense date: 2021-05-11

Examining board members

Daniel Martins de Souza; Lucilene Delazari dos Santos; José Luiz Proença Módena

• Advisor: Daniel Martins de Souza

Abstract

The Brazilian Zika virus outbreak in 2015 was accompanied by an increased in the number of cases of microcephaly, which involves severe changes in brain development, indicating a possible association between the viral infection with these brain malformations. The molecular mechanisms that promote these changes are not yet fully understood. Thus, investigating the processes involving neurodevelopment triggered by viral infection and the biochemical pathways it affects is extremely important. Therefore, models using induced pluripotent stem cells differentiated into neural cells can be used as a neurodevelopment model. Here, neural stem cells have been infected with strains of Zika and Dengue virus. The infection was also carried out in neurospheres, generated from the suspension culture of neural stem cells, to analyze in vitro the changes caused by viral infection in these models, which are one of the cell types most affected by the Zika virus. The samples, infected or not with a strain of the virus, were subjected to quantitative proteomic analysis on a large scale, with the aim of analyzing differences and similarities regarding the effects of the Brazilian and African viral strains, as well as comparing Zika virus infection with the Dengue. The quantitative analysis of the cellular proteome allowed the identification of biological processes, including altered cellular transport, RNA metabolism, and proteins, such as DCX, SEPHS1 and DYNC2H1, that may be related to the mechanisms and development of viral infection in neural cells. Thus, we were able to point out potential differences between the cellular response to the different strains of Zika virus and Dengue, gathering relevant information regarding the comprehension of the molecular mechanisms induced by flaviviruses (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/25439-9 - Proteomic profile of neural stem cells and neurospheres infected with Zika virus and Dengue virus
• Grantee: Danielle Gouvêa Junqueira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master