Structural Biology of the Zika Virus

Yi Shi; George F Gao

doi:10.1016/j.tibs.2017.02.009

Structural Biology of the Zika Virus

Trends Biochem Sci. 2017 Jun;42(6):443-456. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2017.02.009. Epub 2017 Mar 16.

Authors

Yi Shi¹, George F Gao²

Affiliations

¹ CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Immunity, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China; Center for Influenza Research and Early-warning (CASCIRE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address: shiyi@im.ac.cn.
² CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Immunity, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China; Center for Influenza Research and Early-warning (CASCIRE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), Beijing, China. Electronic address: gaof@im.ac.cn.

PMID: 28318966
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2017.02.009

Abstract

Zika virus (ZIKV), a Flaviviridae family member transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, has emerged as a major health concern. ZIKV infections can cause serious neurological complications in adults, and infection in pregnant women can cause congenital malformations, including fetal and newborn microcephaly. In response to this emerging concern, the structural virology field was quick to explore the features of ZIKV. These efforts have provided significant insights into ZIKV pathogenesis, and have identified targets for drug design. Here, we review the remarkable progress in structure-based ZIKV research and discuss the current challenges and future opportunities.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Models, Molecular
Zika Virus / chemistry*
Zika Virus / genetics