Dengue and Zika virus are members of the family flaviviridae and are major
human pathogens. These viruses are mainly spread to humans via the bit of
an infected mosquitoes, although Zika virus can also be transmitted by
sexual contact. Both dengue and zika virus particles are made up of only 3
proteins. Dengue virus has been shown to exhibit tremendous structural
flexibility during their infection cycle. Here we will describe the
structural changes of the surface proteins of dengue virus in different
hosts and at different stages of infection in the cell. We will also
describe the structure of mature Zika virus and relate the findings to its
observed increase in thermo-stability compared to dengue virus.