Figure 1
Vertical transmission of ZIKV and targeting of radial glia cells in fetal mice. (A) Experimental procedures of ZIKV infection in mouse. ZIKV was intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected into pregnant C57 mice at E13.5 or directly injected into the lateral ventricle of the fetus, followed by brain examination on E17.5 or P1. (B) P1 mouse brain slices were stained with convalescent phase serum and DAPI which labels the nucleus. Shown are representative images from 5 mice. Note the virus signals in VZ regions in ZIKV-injected group and nonspecific background signal in mock i.p. injected group. Scale bar, 100 μm. (C) Viremia of ZIKV-infected mice by i.p. route. Pregnant mice were inoculated with ZIKV, and viremia was determined on 1, 2 and 3 days post inoculation by real-time RT-PCR. Dotted lines represent limits of detection. (D) Placenta of each embryo was collected at 3 days post inoculation and viral titers was determined by real-time RT-PCR. Dotted line represents limits of detection. (E) Immunostaining for radial glia marker BLBP and stem cell marker Sox2 in brain slices from P1 mice i.p injected with ZIKV at E13.5. Arrows indicate ZIKV and BLBP colocalized signals. Scale bar, 50 μm. (F) Quantification of the percentage of ZIKV signals colocalized with BLBP. Data are the average of five mouse brains.
