RNA‐based mechanisms regulating host–virus interactions

Abstract

Summary RNA interference (RNAi) is an ancient process by which noncoding RNAs regulate gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. The core components of RNAi are small regulatory RNAs, ~21 to 30 nucleotides in length, including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs). The past two decades have seen considerable progress in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the biogenesis of siRNAs and miRNAs. Recent advances have also revealed the crucial regulatory roles played by small RNAs in such diverse processes as development, homeostasis, innate immunity, and oncogenesis. Accumulating evidence indicates that RNAi initially evolved as a host defense mechanism against viruses and transposons. The ability of the host small RNA biogenesis machinery to recognize viral double-stranded RNA replication intermediates and transposon transcripts is critical to this process, as is small RNA-guided targeting of RNAs via complementary base pairing. Collectively, these properties confer unparalleled specificity and precision to RNAi-mediated gene silencing as an effective antiviral mechanism.

Temporal expression profiling of novel Spodoptera litura nucleopolyhedrovirus-encoded microRNAs upon infection of Sf21 cells

“…Their influence on a myriad of physiological processes, including differentiation, growth, apoptosis and host-pathogen interactions, is indubitable (Ambros, 2011;Blahna & Hata, 2013;Subramanian & Steer, 2010;Zhou & Rana, 2013). Although miRNAs occupy negligible genomic space, they can modulate diverse biological functions.…”

Microbial interactions: ecology in a molecular perspective

“…Virus interactions with its host are also very important since viruses are responsible for many diseases in a variety of hosts, and also, modulating the bacterial community by infecting dominant species. Host-virus communication is related to RNA-based mechanisms such as microRNAs 22, 23. The microorganisms addressed in the present reviewed comprise fungi and bacteria, we did not focus on virus or archaea.…”

Mobile DNA Elements: The Seeds of Organic Complexity on Earth

“…The RNAi system that includes siRNA, miRNA, and piwi pathways, seems to have evolved in eukaryotes more than a billion years ago (Cerutti and Casas-Mollano, 2006;Roger and Hug, 2006). This wellconserved system is thought to have developed primarily as a defensive mechanism against the activity of TEs and invasive viruses (Obbard et al, 2009;Zhou and Rana, 2013). All three pathways contain protein components for producing oligonucleotides from exogenous and endogenous RNA sources.…”