{
  "abstract": "Interferon-λ (IFN-λ, type III IFN) mediates antiviral immunity at anatomic barriers, including the maternal-fetal interface. To investigate the effects of IFN-λ during congenital Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, we infected mice lacking the IFN-αβ receptor (Ifnar1-/-) or both the IFN-αβ and IFN-λ receptors (Ifnar1-/-Ifnlr1-/-) at embryonic day 9 and found that loss of maternal IFN-λ signaling resulted in greater transplacental transmission, highlighting a protective effect of IFN-λ at the maternal-fetal interface. To investigate the spatial relationship between ZIKV infection and antiviral responses, we used HiPlex RNAscope on the entire gravid uterus and found that IFN-λ was expressed more proximal to the site of ZIKV infection in Ifnar1-/- dams compared to Ifnar1-/-Ifnlr1-/- dams. We performed immunophenotyping of the placenta and uterus by flow cytometry and found a decrease in dendritic cells and natural killer (NK) cells in the uterus of Ifnar1-/-Ifnlr1-/- dams compared to Ifnar1-/- dams, but NK cell depletion did not affect fetal infection. Using conditional knockout mice, we identified maternal dendritic cells as the key IFN-λ-responsive cell type mediating protection against ZIKV congenital infection. Together, our data support a model in which IFN-λ signaling to maternal dendritic cells increases dendritic cell accumulation in the uterus, which facilitates a protective antiviral response that restricts ZIKV congenital infection.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.",
    "Neuroscience Microscopy Core Facility, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities & Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.",
    "Histology Research Core Facility, Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.",
    "Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Margaret R. Dedloff",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0175-116X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Thomas R. Reinhardt"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Tessa-Jonne F. Ropp",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9831-0557"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Joel Rivera-Cardona",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2630-6740"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Celeste R. Robles",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4854-7676"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Rebecca L. Casazza",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8271-6947"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "J. Ashley Ezzell",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5142-4685"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Michelle S. Itano",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6853-1228"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Helen M. Lazear",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8649-4579"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dzmf48ef4tae0.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1126/sciadv.aeh1073",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13693664",
  "id": "dzmf48ef4tae0",
  "issns": [
    "2375-2548"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeh1073",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2403|interferon and immune responses"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223301979",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13693664?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13693664",
  "pmid": "42912987",
  "published": "2026-10-23",
  "publisher": "American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dzmf48ef4tae0.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:41Z",
      "native_id": "10.1126/sciadv.aeh1073",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeh1073"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:03Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42912987",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42912987"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2403|interferon and immune responses",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Interferon-λ signaling to maternal dendritic cells protects against congenital Zika virus infection",
  "title_text": "Interferon-λ signaling to maternal dendritic cells protects against congenital Zika virus infection",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:03Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dzmf48ef4tae0",
  "venue": "Science Advances",
  "versions": []
}