Zika virus has now become a household word. It is thought to cause microcephaly, a birth defect where a baby's head is smaller than usual. Additionally, it is associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder that could lead to paralysis and even death. However, how this microbe replicates in the infected cells remains a mystery. Now, an international team led by researchers from Tianjin University and Nankai University has unraveled the puzzle of how Zika virus replicates and published their finding in Springer's journal Protein & Cell.
Now, an international team led by researchers from Tianjin University and Nankai University has unraveled the puzzle of how Zika virus replicates and published their finding in Springer's journal Protein & Cell. All viruses seem to need a helicase for replication. The Zika virus helicase is a motor enzyme that converts energy from nucleoside triphosphate to unwind and separate double-stranded nucleic acids, so the single-stranded genetic material can then be copied. This is an essential step for viral replication.