The association of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection with microcephaly has raised alarm worldwide. Their causal link has been confirmed in different animal models infected by ZIKV. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ZIKV pathogenesis are far from clear. Hence, we performed global gene expression analysis of ZIKV-infected mouse brains to unveil the biological and molecular networks underpinning microcephaly. We found significant dysregulation of the sub-networks associated with brain development, immune response, cell death, microglial cell activation, and autophagy amongst others. We provided detailed analysis of the related complicated gene networks and the links between them. Additionally, we analyzed the signaling pathways that were likely to be involved. This report provides systemic insights into not only the pathogenesis, but also a path to the development of prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against ZIKV infection.

寨卡病毒(ZIKV) 感染与小头畸形的关联引起了全世界的警觉。它们的因果关系已在感染 ZIKV 的不同动物模型中得到证实。然而，ZIKV 发病机制的分子机制尚不清楚。因此，我们对 ZIKV 感染的小鼠大脑进行了全局基因表达分析，以揭示支持小头畸形的生物和分子网络。我们发现与大脑发育、免疫反应、细胞死亡、小胶质细胞激活和自噬等相关的子网络的显着失调。我们提供了相关复杂基因网络的详细分析以及它们之间的联系。此外，我们分析了可能涉及的信号通路。该报告不仅提供了对发病机制的系统见解，而且还提供了针对 ZIKV 感染的预防和治疗策略的发展途径。