ZIKA VIRUS ALTERS TROPHOBLAST METABOLISM AND APOPTOTIC SIGNALING PATHWAYS TO PROMOTE VIRAL PROPAGATION AND PERSISTENCE IN THE PLACENTA AT EARLY PREGNANCY

MARQUEZ, AGOSTINA; MERECH, FÁTIMA; GARCIA, CYBELE; KAFER, DIEGO; HAUK, VANESA; PÉREZ LEIRÓS, CLAUDIA; PAPARINI, DANIEL E.; RAMHORST, ROSANNA; VOTA, DAIANA

Bogotá

Congreso; IX SLIMP; 2022

SLIMP

Objectives: During pregnancy, Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is associated with fetal growth impairment and altered central nervous system development. However, not all neonates from infected pregnant women present congenital abnormalities. Up to date, there is no treatment or vaccine to ameliorate fetal growth defects. Our aim is to elucidate the mechanism and factors involved in trophoblast cell susceptibility to ZIKV infection and viral persistence in the placenta.Methods: First-trimester Tb-derived cell line Swan-71 was infected with a local isolated ZIKV strain. Infective viral particles production was measured by plaque assay and intracellular viral replication, and RNAm expression was quantified by RT-qPCR. Mitochondrial membrane potential and lipid droplet accumulation were measured by flow cytometry using the specific fluorescent dyes MitotrackerMCXRos and BODIPY 493/503, respectively.Results: Tb cells infected with ZIKV showed increased AXL receptor gene expression and lipid droplet accumulation (p