TY - JOUR
T1 - Type I interferon controls vertical transmission and fetoplacental infection of Oropouche virus
AU - Muraro, Stefanie Primon
AU - de Souza, Gabriela Fabiano
AU - Alippe, Yael
AU - Simeoni, Camila Lopes
AU - Vieira, Aline
AU - Forato, Julia
AU - Lavagnini, Paula Mendes
AU - Polonio, Carolina Manganeli
AU - de Oliveira, Lilian Gomes
AU - Martini, Matheus Cavalheiro
AU - Hua, Xinyi
AU - Elam-Noll, Michelle
AU - de Souza, William M.
AU - Borges, Luciano Figueiredo
AU - Costa, Maria Laura
AU - Peron, Jean Pierre Schatzmann
AU - Diamond, Michael S.
AU - Proenca-Modena, José Luiz
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Authors
PY - 2026/2/20
Y1 - 2026/2/20
N2 - The current outbreak of the emerging arthropod-transmitted Oropouche virus (OROV) in South America has been epidemiologically linked to vertical transmissions, microcephaly, and stillbirths. Nevertheless, the impact of OROV infection during pregnancy has not been experimentally evaluated. To address how OROV infection might impact pregnancy outcome, we performed experiments in human cells and mice. Studies in cell cultures showed that the human trophoblast cell lines BeWo and JEG-3 are permissive to OROV infection (strain BeAn19991) and develop type I interferon (IFN)-dependent antiviral response. In our model, loss of type I IFN signaling in the dam resulted in the spread of virus to the placenta and fetus, whereas loss in the fetus alone was not sufficient to cause fetal infection. Collectively, our study shows that placental cells are susceptible to OROV infection and that the outcome for fetus depends on the integrity of the type I IFN immune response in the dam.
AB - The current outbreak of the emerging arthropod-transmitted Oropouche virus (OROV) in South America has been epidemiologically linked to vertical transmissions, microcephaly, and stillbirths. Nevertheless, the impact of OROV infection during pregnancy has not been experimentally evaluated. To address how OROV infection might impact pregnancy outcome, we performed experiments in human cells and mice. Studies in cell cultures showed that the human trophoblast cell lines BeWo and JEG-3 are permissive to OROV infection (strain BeAn19991) and develop type I interferon (IFN)-dependent antiviral response. In our model, loss of type I IFN signaling in the dam resulted in the spread of virus to the placenta and fetus, whereas loss in the fetus alone was not sufficient to cause fetal infection. Collectively, our study shows that placental cells are susceptible to OROV infection and that the outcome for fetus depends on the integrity of the type I IFN immune response in the dam.
KW - Immunology
KW - Virology
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105029112376
U2 - 10.1016/j.isci.2026.114647
DO - 10.1016/j.isci.2026.114647
M3 - Article
C2 - 41727186
AN - SCOPUS:105029112376
SN - 2589-0042
VL - 29
JO - iScience
JF - iScience
IS - 2
M1 - 114647
ER -