Zika Virus Noncoding sfRNA Sequesters Multiple RNA Binding Proteins and Impacts mRNA Decay and Splicing

Previous reports studying similar flavivirus infections (DENV, WNV, etc.) revealed an increase in both the abundance and stability of normally short-lived cellular mRNAs. This resulted from the stalling/repression of the major 5'-3' host exoribonuclease XRN-1 on three-helix junction structures present in the 3'-UTR of insect-borne flaviviruses. Therefore we sought to identify the endogenous mRNA abundance and stability changes induced during early and late times following Zika virus infection (PRBRAC59) in human choriocarcinoma (JAR) cells. Overall design: To investigate the impact of Zika virus infection on relative transcript abundances in human choriocarcinoma (JAR) cells, we analyzed total RNA of sample cells infected with Zika virus for 12 hours or 72 hours and compared their transcriptional profiles. Three replicates of 12 hour ZIKV-infected cellular RNA and three replicates of 72 hour ZIKV-infected cells were evaluated for a total of six samples.