The Relationship between HERV, Interleukin, and Transcription Factor Expression in ZIKV Infected versus Uninfected Trophoblastic Cells

Author(s):Show less -

da Costa, Anderson Luis ; Prieto-Oliveira, Paula ; Duarte-Barbosa, Marcia ; Andreata-Santos, Robert ; Peter, Cristina M. ; de Brito, Thamires Prolo ; Antoneli, Fernando ; Duraes-Carvalho, Ricardo ; Briones, Marcelo R. S. ; Maricato, Juliana T. ; Zanotto, Paolo M. A. ; Machado, Denis Jacob ; Janini, Luiz M. R.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: CELLS; v. 13, n. 17, p. 15-pg., 2024-09-01.

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus with maternal, sexual, and TORCH-related transmission capabilities. After 2015, Brazil had the highest number of ZIVK-infected pregnant women who lost their babies or delivered them with Congenital ZIKV Syndrome (CZS). ZIKV triggers an immune defense in the placenta. This immune response counts with the participation of interleukins and transcription factors. Additionally, it has the potential involvement of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVS). Interleukins are immune response regulators that aid immune tolerance and support syncytial structure development in the placenta, where syncytin receptors facilitate vital cell-to-cell fusion events. HERVs are remnants of ancient viral infections that integrate into the genome and produce syncytin proteins crucial for placental development. Since ZIKV can infect trophoblast cells, we analyzed the relationship between ZIKV infection, HERV, interleukin, and transcription factor modulations in the placenta. To investigate the impact of ZIKV on trophoblast cells, we examined two cell types (BeWo and HTR8) infected with ZIKV-MR766 (African) and ZIKV-IEC-Para & iacute;ba (Asian-Brazilian) using Taqman and RT2 Profiler PCR Array assays. Our results indicate that early ZIKV infection (24-72 h) does not induce differential interleukins, transcription factors, and HERV expression. However, we show that the expression of a few of these host defense genes appears to be linked independently of ZIKV infection. Future studies involving additional trophoblastic cell lineages and extended infection timelines will illuminate the dynamic interplay between ZIKV, HERVs, interleukins, and transcription factors in the placenta. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 23/07287-5 - Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 immune escape by analyzing the immune response of patients hospitalized with moderate or severe COVID-19 during the wave of variant infections Omicron
• Grantee: Marcia Duarte Barbosa da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 23/10230-5 - Alterations in the blood transcriptome caused by the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in UNIFESP volunteers and genomic and epigenomic variants of SARS-CoV-2 in the State of Sao Paulo
• Grantee: Cristina Mendes Peter
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 21/03684-4 - Bats: epidemiological surveillance, high-resolution phylodynamics, search and design of peptides of biotechnological interest in emergent and reemerging viruses
• Grantee: Ricardo Durães de Carvalho
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Young Researchers
• FAPESP's process: 20/08943-5 - Investigation of the hosts' induced elements in response to the immunisation with ChAdOx1 nCOV-19 vaccine in a Phase III Clinical Trial
• Grantee: Luiz Mário Ramos Janini
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 21/05661-1 - Virological characterization of Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 isolates and their neutralization capabilities by serum from previously infected and/or vaccinated individuals
• Grantee: Robert Andreata Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 19/01255-9 - Bats: epidemiological surveillance, high-resolution phylodynamics, search and design of peptides of biotechnological interest in emergent and reemerging viruses
• Grantee: Ricardo Durães de Carvalho
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants