Zika virus NS1, a pathogenicity factor with many faces

Recent publications in The EMBO Journal (Xu et al, 2016) and in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (Brown et al, 2016) report crystal structures of the Zika virus (ZIKV) NS1 protein. The structures reveal unique surface properties that help explain the specificity of anti-ZIKV NS1 antibodies. Possible functions of this multifaceted pathogenicity factor are discussed here on the basis of the structures and cautious extrapolation from other flaviviruses.
Source: EMBO Journal - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tags: Microbiology, Virology & Host Pathogen Interaction, Structural Biology News [amp ] Views Source Type: research