Chromosome 19 microRNAs exert antiviral activity independent from type III interferon signaling

Cultured primary human trophoblasts (PHT), derived from term placentas, are relatively resistant to infection by diverse viruses. The resistance can be conferred to non-trophoblastic cells by pre-exposing them to medium that was conditioned by PHT cells. This antiviral effect is mediated, at least in part, by microRNAs (miRNA) expressed from the chromosome 19 microRNA cluster (C19MC). Recently we showed that PHT cells and cells pre-exposed to PHT medium are also resistant to infection by Zika virus (ZIKV), an effect mediated by the constitutive release of the type III interferons (IFN) IFN lambda-1 and IFN lambda-2 in trophoblastic medium.

Source: Placenta - November 10, 2017 Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Avraham Bayer, Nicholas J. Lennemann, Yingshi Ouyang, Elena Sadovsky, Megan A. Sheridan, R. Michael Roberts, Carolyn B. Coyne, Yoel Sadovsky Source Type: research