How zika virus degrades essential protein for neurological development via autophagy

(University of Maryland) Researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) shed new light on how Zika virus hijacks our own cellular machinery to break down an essential protein for neurological development, getting it to " eat itself " . By triggering this process known as autophagy, Zika virus is able to degrade an important protein, a process that may contribute to the development of neurological or brain deficiencies and congenital birth defects in the newborns of infected pregnant women.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news