FIGURE 2.

Zika virus infectious life cycle: Host cell membrane receptors bind the E protein of the mature Zika virion, triggering endocytosis. The acidic environment of the endosome induces fusion of the host endosome membrane with the viral envelope and the release of the RNA genome. The RNA is translated into a polyprotein complex, which is cleaved by the host and viral proteases in the ER lumen and cytoplasm, respectively. Following translation, a replication complex is assembled and associated with virus induced membranes where viral replication takes place. The methylated (+) ssRNA, C, E, and prM proteins assemble to form immature virions in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The immature virions bud out of the ER into the Golgi apparatus, and they then mature in the trans-Golgi network that are released by exocytosis. In the orange boxes are the names of the compounds that can inhibit the marked steps of the virus lifecycle and that are evaluated in animal models or clinical trials.