CDK5RAP2 and microcephaly: Furthermore, in the following studies, around 11 genes related to microcephaly have been demonstrated to be downregulated in the tissue from ZIKV-associated microcephaly, including the gene (CDK5RAP2) found in this case, which is also related and required for the maintenance of the germ cell pool during embryonic development and is linked with molecular evolutionary pathways for regulating the brain size (Evans et al., 2006; Zaqout et al., 2017).