A brief review of microRNA and its role in PRRSV infection and replication

Abstract

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), a single-stranded RNA virus, mainly infects cells of monocyte/macrophage lineage. Recently, host microRNAs were shown to be capable of modulating PRRSV infection and replication by multiple ways such as targeting viral genomic RNA, targeting viral receptor and inducing antiviral response. MicroRNAs are small RNAs and have emerged as important regulators of virus-host cell interactions. In this review, we discuss the identified functions of host microRNAs in relation to PRRSV infection and propose that cellular microRNAs may have a substantial effect on cell or tissue tropism of PRRSV.