Novel roles for Sm-class RNAs in the regulation of gene expression

Viruses masterfully regulate host gene expression during infection. Many do so, in part, by expressing non-coding RNAs. Recent work has shown that HSUR 2, a viral non-coding RNA expressed by the oncogenic Herpesvirus saimiri, regulates mRNA expression through a novel mechanism. HSUR 2 base pairs wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:RNA biology 2018-07, Vol.15 (7), p.856-862
Main Author: Cazalla, Demián
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
herpesvirus
Herpesvirus saimiri
HSUR 2
miRNA adaptor
mRNA regulation
Point of View
Sm-class RNA
Viral non-coding RNA
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Summary:Viruses masterfully regulate host gene expression during infection. Many do so, in part, by expressing non-coding RNAs. Recent work has shown that HSUR 2, a viral non-coding RNA expressed by the oncogenic Herpesvirus saimiri, regulates mRNA expression through a novel mechanism. HSUR 2 base pairs with both target mRNAs and host miRNAs in infected cells. This results in HSUR 2-dependent recruitment of host miRNAs and associated Ago proteins to target mRNAs, and the subsequent destabilization of target mRNAs. Using this mechanism, this virus regulates key cellular pathways during viral infection. Here I discuss the evolution of our thinking about HSUR function and explore the implications of recent findings in relation to the current views on the functions of interactions between miRNAs and other classes of non-coding RNAs, the potential advantages of this mechanism of regulation of gene expression, and the evolutionary origin of HSUR 2.
ISSN:1547-6286
1555-8584
DOI:10.1080/15476286.2018.1467176