Dysregulation of long non-coding RNA genes during ZIka virus Infection

We utilized an unbiased RNA sequencing approach to profile the lncRNA transcriptome in ZIKV infected Vero cells.We identified a total of 121 lncRNA genes that are differentially regulated at 48 hours post infection (hpi).Protein-lncRNA interaction maps revealed that MALAT1 and NEAT1 share common interacting partners. ZIKV mediated dysregulation of these two regulatory lncRNAs can alter the expression of respective downstream target genes and associated biological functions, importantly cell division. In conclusion, this investigation is the first to provide insight into the biological connection of lncRNAs and Zika virus which can be further explored for developing antiviral therapy. Overall design: Examination of the biological connection between zika virus and LincRNAs.