In:
Nature Communications, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 12, No. 1 ( 2021-04-29)
Kurzfassung:
Recognition of Zika virus (ZIKV) sexual transmission (ST) among humans challenges our understanding of the maintenance of mosquito-borne viruses in nature. Here we dissected the relative contributions of the components of male reproductive system (MRS) during early male-to-female ZIKV transmission by utilizing mice with altered antiviral responses, in which ZIKV is provided an equal opportunity to be seeded in the MRS tissues. Using microRNA-targeted ZIKV clones engineered to abolish viral infectivity to different parts of the MRS or a library of ZIKV genomes with unique molecular identifiers, we pinpoint epithelial cells of the epididymis (rather than cells of the testis, vas deferens, prostate, or seminal vesicles) as a most likely source of the sexually transmitted ZIKV genomes during the early (most productive) phase of ZIKV shedding into the semen. Incorporation of this mechanistic knowledge into the development of a live-attenuated ZIKV vaccine restricts its ST potential.
Materialart:
Online-Ressource
ISSN:
2041-1723
DOI:
10.1038/s41467-021-22729-5
Sprache:
Englisch
Verlag:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publikationsdatum:
2021
ZDB Id:
2553671-0
