The Zika virus is a virus that has captured the attention of many pregnant women, families with newborns, medical doctors, and researchers for its detrimental effects on the heads of newborn babies. This virus can cause microcephaly, in which the brain does not fully develop thus causing a small head in newborns. This disease has become very dominant across the Americas.  Researchers specifically have been wondering why the Zika virus has become more prevalent the past couple years, whereas it has been discovered for more than 60 years.

 In the year 2013 researchers in China were studying the Zika virus DNA specifically the amino acid sequence versus its ancestral strand. They were comparing the mutation that has occurred, and they found there was a single amino acid mutation on the fundamental protein, serine to asparagine. Thus their point is that a single amino acid mutation from the ancestral strand has been the cause of great strife, called the S139N alteration. To prove their discoveries they began experiments on lab mice. They created different Zika virus strains, and they realized that the strain with the S139N substitution caused the greatest mutilation to the mice’s brain cells. To help prove their hypothesis they tested the other strains of lab created Zika virus that did not contain the S139N mutation. They found that those strands did not cause nearly as much damage to the brain cells.

The scientists are still unaware of how the mutation creates a stronger strain of the Zika virus, but they are alluding to the fact that is it dealing with the structural component of the protein. This relating to the strength of binding with itself and with other cells, consequently to its function affecting other cells. Although this has proven that the mutation of S139N is a damaging cause of microcephaly, the scientists stated that there are also other mutation causes at the time that are unknown.

I have been very interested in the Zika virus and how it has suddenly affected so many people in a short span of the past couple years. But also how this virus’ mutation caused such a difference compared to its previous generations, and why all of sudden this change occured. This article furthermore became interesting to me because we have been studying and understanding the amino acid sequences in proteins and exactly how they define the function of a protein. We as well have studied the folding and binding of a protein with itself and within its environment. There are many proteins and they each in a specific order specify a function, and if one mere mutation or change of an amino acid can cause a drastically different outcome than desired. Likewise that this one mutation has a domino effect with its following bindings.

Victoria Hooper 

Reference:

 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-single-mutation-helps-modern-zika-cause-birth-defects1/