Fig. 1: Effect of miRNA target insertion on ZIKV replication in the MRS organs of adult AG129 mice.

Relative expression of the mir-202 (a) and mir-141 (b) in the selected rodent organs based on published miRNA array data⁴⁰. Plotted are the ratios of signal intensity for each miRNA in indicated organs (n = 3) normalized to the signal intensity in the testis (a) or ventral prostate (b) (the organs with a highest expression of corresponding miRNAs). BM bone marrow, LN lymph node. Data are presented as geomegtic mean values ± geomegtic standard deviation. (c–g) Adult male AG129 mice were infected IP with 10⁶ pfu of ZIKV-NS3m, 2 × scr, 2 × 202(T), or 2 × 141(T) virus. Replication kinetics of indicated viruses in the serum (c) and components of the MRS (d–g). Viruses with stable miRNA-target sequences are indicated as stable (stb). Viruses with deletions or point mutations in the miRNA-target sequences are indicated as mutant (mut). If all virus samples from the organ remained stable, no additional notations were made to the virus name. c Data are presented as mean titer ± SD. Differences between the titer of 2 × scr (n = 8) and the titer of 2 × 202(T) (n = 10), 2 × 141(T) (n = 8), and ZIKV-NS3m (n = 10) in mouse serum at 1 dpi were compared using one-way ANOVA with multiple comparison adjustment. p values (from left to right): ns, p = 0.279; ns, p = 0.774; ns, p = 0.453. d–g Data show each replicates (the virus titer in the organ dissected from an individual mouse) and mean virus titers (connecting lines). The limit of detection (dashed lines): 1.5 log₁₀(pfu/mL) for serum, 1.7 log₁₀(pfu/g) for testis and SV/P, and 0.7 log₁₀(pfu/mouse) for epididymis and vas deferens.