Differentiation-dependent susceptibility of human muscle cells to Zika virus infection

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020 Aug 20;14(8):e0008282. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008282. eCollection 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Muscle cells are potential targets of many arboviruses, such as Ross River, Dengue, Sindbis, and chikungunya viruses, that may be involved in the physiopathological course of the infection. During the recent outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV), myalgia was one of the most frequently reported symptoms. We investigated the susceptibility of human muscle cells to ZIKV infection. Using an in vitro model of human primary myoblasts that can be differentiated into myotubes, we found that myoblasts can be productively infected by ZIKV. In contrast, myotubes were shown to be resistant to ZIKV infection, suggesting a differentiation-dependent susceptibility. Infection was accompanied by a caspase-independent cytopathic effect, associated with paraptosis-like cytoplasmic vacuolization. Proteomic profiling was performed 24h and 48h post-infection in cells infected with two different isolates. Proteome changes indicate that ZIKV infection induces an upregulation of proteins involved in the activation of the Interferon type I pathway, and a downregulation of protein synthesis. This work constitutes the first observation of primary human muscle cells susceptibility to ZIKV infection, and differentiation-dependent restriction of infection from myoblasts to myotubes. Since myoblasts constitute the reservoir of stem cells involved in reparation/regeneration in muscle tissue, the infection of muscle cells and the viral-induced alterations observed here could have consequences in ZIKV infection pathogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Death
  • Cell Differentiation*
  • Cell Line
  • Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Humans
  • Interferon Type I / metabolism
  • Muscle Cells / metabolism*
  • Muscle Cells / pathology
  • Muscle Cells / virology*
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / virology
  • Myoblasts / metabolism
  • Myoblasts / virology
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • Proteomics*
  • Stem Cells
  • Virus Replication
  • Zika Virus / pathogenicity
  • Zika Virus Infection* / pathology
  • Zika Virus Infection* / virology

Substances

  • Interferon Type I
  • Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a Pasteur-Fiocruz grant. VL was supported by a fellowship from the “Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale” (FRM), IR and MG by CNPq/Ciências sem Fronteiras program; CNPq/Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM). FOCEM - Mercosur Structural Convergence Fund 03/11. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.