Immature flaviviruses: new study out in Nature Communications
Our latest paper has just been published in Nature Communications and was selected as an Editor’s Highlight in the Microbiology and Infectious Diseases section. The study reveals how immature flaviviruses, long considered non-infectious, can in fact enter cells and play a role in infection. Moreover, we identified key structural aspects of the prM/E protein complex that shape this process and explain the differences between tick-borne and mosquito-borne flaviviruses.
Flaviviruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, or Zika virus undergo a complex maturation process before they become fully infectious. For decades, immature viral particles were thought to be harmless and non-infectious. In our new study, we show that these immature particles can also infect host cells, although in different conditions.
By combining structural predictions, reverse genetics systems for mutational analysis, and classical virological experiments, we identified specific features in the prM/E protein complex that regulate the infectivity of immature particles. Interestingly, we discovered clear differences between mosquito-borne and tick-borne flaviviruses, highlighting evolutionary adaptations in their maturation pathways.
This work was made possible thanks to excellent collaboration and support from Félix Rey (Institut Pasteur) and many other colleagues.
The full article is available here.
We also prepared a more easy-to-read and fun version of the story in the Research Communities!
