Zika Virus Exploits Lipid Rafts to Infect Host Cells.
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| Abstract |
Several flaviviruses such as Hepatitis C virus, West Nile virus, Dengue virus and Japanese Encephalitis virus exploit the raft platform to enter host cells whereas the involvement of lipid rafts in Zika virus-host cell interaction has not yet been demonstrated. Zika virus disease is caused by a flavivirus transmitted by Aedes spp. Mosquitoes, although other mechanisms such as blood transfusion, sexual and maternal-fetal transmission have been demonstrated. Symptoms are generally mild, such as fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, but neurological complications, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, have been associated to this viral infection. During pregnancy, it can cause microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities in the fetus, as well as pregnancy complications, representing a serious health threat. In this study, we show for the first time that Zika virus employs cell membrane lipid rafts as a portal of entry into Vero cells. We previously demonstrated that the antifungal drug Amphotericin B (AmphB) hampers a microbe-host cell interaction through the disruption of lipid raft architecture. Here, we found that Amphotericin B by the same mechanism of action inhibits both Zika virus cell entry and replication. These data encourage further studies on the off-label use of Amphotericin B in Zika virus infections as a new and alternate antiviral therapy.
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| Authors | Daniela Peruzzu, Antonello Amendola, Giulietta Venturi, Valeria de Turris, Giulia Marsili, Claudia Fortuna, Katia Fecchi, Maria Cristina Gagliardi |
| Journal | Viruses (Viruses) Vol. 14 Issue 9 (09 16 2022) ISSN: 1999-4915 [Electronic] Switzerland |
| PMID | 36146865 (Publication Type: Journal Article) |
| Chemical References |
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