Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS) that regulate local ion and pH homeostasis, synapse development, brain microcirculation and modulate synaptic strength. Due to their susceptibility to infection, combined with high resilience to virus-induced cell death, astrocytes are emerging as one of the principal types of cells, responsible for virus retention and dissemination within the brain.
In the presentation I will first focus on human neuroinfections, which are caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and Zika virus. Viral infection of astrocytes affects cytoskeleton integrity, vesicle mobility and may present an important pool of persistent infections, contributing to neurological manifestations. In the second part of the talk, I will present our most recent study of the interplay between authophagy and selected flaviviruses in human astrocytes. Our results show that pathogenic flaviviruses efficiently trigger the autophagic response in astrocytes, yet, replication of flaviviruses is likely an autophagy-independent process in this cell type.
In conclusion, astrocytes are potential reservoir of flaviviruses in the CNS. During the infection of astrocytes, viruses can interfere with several cellular processes, which renders them a potential target for therapeutic intervention.