Proteomic profiles of ZIKV-positive placentas of fetuses with microcephaly

Here we use a proteomic approach to study the role of the placenta in ZIKV-induced microcephaly and the mechanisms of ZIKV to cross the placental barrier. Samples were separated into three groups: an uninfected control group (ZIKV-CZS-), a group of placentas infected by ZIKV with normal neonates (ZIKV+CZS-), and a group of placentas infected by ZIKV that developed microcephaly in newborns (ZIKV+CZS+). Zika virus causes DNA damage and impairs gene expression and mRNA translation during infection of the placenta. Processes related to viral transcytosis, like endocytosis, autophagy and disruption of actin filament were also observed in CZS-infected placentas, which could lead to a higher virus infiltration. Unncontrolled maternal immune response as well as greater expression of cellular adhesion proteins in the decidua could lead to a disruption of tolerance during pregnancy and induction of neurological malformation of the neonates