Work

Divergent MicroRNA Targetomes of Closely Related Circulating Strains of a Polyomavirus

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Hundreds of virus-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) have been uncovered, but an in-depth functional understanding is lacking for most. A major challenge for the field is separating those miRNA targets that are biologically relevant from those that are not advantageous to the virus. Here, we show that miRNAs from related variants of the polyomavirus simian vacuolating virus 40 (SV40) have differing host target repertoires (targetomes) while their direct autoregulatory activity on virus-encoded early gene products is completely preserved. These results underscore the importance of miRNA-mediated viral gene autoregulation in some polyomavirus life cycles. More broadly, these findings imply that some host targets of virus-encoded miRNAs are likely to be of little selective advantage to the virus, and our approach provides a strategy for prioritizing relevant targets.

Source: Journal of Virology

DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01711-13

Authors: Chun Jung Chen, Jennifer E. Cox, Rodney P. Kincaid, Angel Martinez, Christopher S. Sullivan

Institutions: The University of Texas at Austin, American Chemical Society

Language: English

Topic: Polyomavirus and related diseases

Subfield: Oncology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases