Determination of system level alterations in host transcriptome due to Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in retinal pigment epithelium

Zika Virus (ZIKV) induces ocular complications in infants born from ZIKV infected mothers during pregnancy. We previously reported that ZIKV is permeable to cells lining the blood-retinal barrier. In this study, we measure the alteration of host transcriptome by ZIKV using primary retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells. Human primary retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells (Lonza, Walkersville, MD) were cultured in RtEGM™Bulletkit® media as per the manufacturer’s instruction (Lonza). Pr. RPE cells were infected with ZIKV (PRVABC59, NR-50240) for 48 and 96h at MOI 1. Cells were harvested and RNA was isolated using a Qiagen RNA extraction kit. The host transcriptome was analyzed using an RNAseq. *** Submitter states raw data were never received from the core facility (now closed).