Fig. 4: IL-27 signaling limits pathologic fetal outcomes during congenital infection.
From: Interleukin-27 is antiviral against Zika virus at the maternal-fetal interface
A Timeline for mating and treatment of human STAT2 knock-in (hSTAT2 KI) mice with high molecular weight polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (HMW poly(I:C)). Created in BioRender. Jurado, K. (2025) https://BioRender.com/eegilr9. B Serum IL-6 levels in PBS- and HMW Poly(I:C)-treated dams at 6 h post-injection as determined via ELISA. n = 3 dams per group. Statistical analysis performed via ordinary two-way ANOVA, **p < 0.01, ns= not significant (From left, p = >0.9999, 0.0013, 0.0011, 0.9896). Data presented as mean values ± SD. C Proportion of fetuses exhibiting healthy, early resorption, or total resorption phenotypes at E13.5 in PBS- and HMW Poly(I:C)-treated dams. Graph displays total number of fetuses from 3-4 litters per condition. D Representative images depicting fetal outcomes at E13.5. Phenotypes were determined for each fetus based on gross morphology and tissue integrity, as described in methods. E Timeline for mating and infection of hSTAT2 KI mice, as described in methods. Created in BioRender. Jurado, K. (2025) https://BioRender.com/m1xcoc2. F Proportion of fetuses exhibiting healthy, early resorption, or total resorption phenotypes at E13.5 in PBS- and ZIKV-infected dams. Fetal outcomes were evaluated in 3 independent litters for all conditions except ZIKV-infected IL27RA−/− dams, for which 4 independent litters were evaluated. Graph displays total number of fetuses per condition. G–I ZIKV burdens at E13.5 as determined via quantitative RT-PCR. G Combined ZIKV burden of one matching fetus and placenta, normalized to combined tissue weight. Shape of data point represents observed fetal phenotype. Total number of fetal/placental units per condition plotted (see 4 F). Statistical analysis performed via Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, ***p < 0.001, ns=not significant (From left, p = >0.9999, 0.0006). H Left: Fetal ZIKV burdens, normalized to fetus weights. Viral burdens for subset of fetuses exhibiting “healthy” phenotypes plotted (Isotype n = 24, α-IL-27 n = 16, IL27RA−/− n = 28). Right: Placental ZIKV burdens, normalized to placental weights. Viral burdens of placentas matched to fetuses with “healthy” phenotypes plotted (Isotype n = 24, α-IL-27 n = 16, IL27RA−/− n = 28). Statistical analysis performed via Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001, ns=not significant (Fetal from left, p = >0.9999, 0.0374; Placental from left, p = 0.0378, <0.0001). I Maternal serum ZIKV burdens, normalized to serum weight. n = 3 dams for Isotype and α-IL-27-treated groups, n = 4 IL27RA−/− dams. Not significant via Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA.
