Understanding the viral piRNA production in mosquitoes

Comparison of the production of viral specific small RNAs of arboviruses belonging to different arbovirus families and using different replication methods. AF319 (Dicer-2 deficient and thereby lacking the production of siRNAs) and AF5 (control cells), are both Ae. aegypti derived cells and permissive to a wide variety of arboviruses. These cells are infected with the corresponding viruses at a high MOI (10) and RNA isolated at 48 hours post infection, followed by small RNA sequencing (as Infravec2 product) and mapping of the small RNAs to the viral genomes/ antigenomes. Viruses used include Bunyamwera, Rift valley fever, Vesicular stomatitis, Chandipura, Zeka, and Semliki Forest virus.