FIG 1.
Design and characterization of full-length ZIKV infectious clones. (A) Representation of the strategy used for assembling a ZIKV cDNA clone from an Argentinean isolate (pZIKVAr). Restriction sites used to clone each fragment are indicated on the top. Below this schematic are shown the sequences of predicted prokaryotic promoters (red) responsible for instability in bacteria. Synonymous mutations incorporated are indicated in green. (B) Representation of the strategy used for assembling a ZIKV cDNA clone from a laboratory-adapted virus obtained from Senegal (pZIKVSe). (C) Transfections of viral RNAs generated by in vitro transcription are infectious in mosquito and human cells, as shown by immunofluorescence using antibodies against ZIKV NS3 protein. CPE, cytopathic effect. (D) The rescued ZIKVAr and ZIKVSen are infectious and form plaques in BHK cells. (E) Infection and transmission rates of the cloned viruses in A. Aegypti mosquitoes are shown. Female mosquitoes were fed with an infectious blood meal containing 1 × 106 FFU/ml of ZIKVAr or ZIKVSen.