Zika Virus Infects Human Placental Macrophages

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Kendra M. Quicke, Emory University; James R. Bowen, Emory University; Erica Johnson, Emory University; Circe E. McDonald, Emory University; Huailiang Ma, Yerkes National Primate Research Center; Justin T. O'Neal, Emory University; Augustine Rajakumar, Emory University; Jens Wrammert, Emory University; Bassam Rimawi, Emory University; Bali Pulendran, Emory University; Raymond Schinazi, Emory University; Rana Chakraborty, Emory University; Mehul Suthar, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2016-07-13
• Publisher: Elsevier (Cell Press)
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2016 Elsevier Inc.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2016.05.015
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Cell Host and Microbe
• ISSN: 1931-3128
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 83
• End Page: 90
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was funded in part by NIH grants U19AI083019 (M.S.S), R56AI110516 (M.S.S), R21AI113485 (M.S.S.), 2U19AI090023 (B.P), 5R37DK057665 (B.P), 5R37AI048638 (B.P), and 2U19AI057266 (B.P); Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (M.S.S); Emory Vaccine Center (M.S.S); The Georgia Research Alliance (M.S.S); Multi-Center NICHD International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Network (R.C); and P30AI050409 Center for AIDS Research at Emory University (R.F.S).
• Keywords: VACCINE; Parasitology; BIOLOGY; HIV-1; HOFBAUER CELLS; REPLICATION; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Microbiology; BRAIN; Science & Technology; Virology; IMMUNITY
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Immunology; Biology, Virology

Abstract

The recent Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in Brazil has been directly linked to increased cases of microcephaly in newborns. Current evidence indicates that ZIKV is transmitted vertically from mother to fetus. However, the mechanism of intrauterine transmission and the cell types involved remain unknown. We demonstrate that the contemporary ZIKV strain PRVABC59 (PR 2015) infects and replicates in primary human placental macrophages, called Hofbauer cells, and to a lesser extent in cytotrophoblasts, isolated from villous tissue of full-term placentae. Viral replication coincides with induction of type I interferon (IFN), pro-inflammatory cytokines, and antiviral gene expression, but with minimal cell death. Our results suggest a mechanism for intrauterine transmission in which ZIKV gains access to the fetal compartment by directly infecting placental cells and disrupting the placental barrier.