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Gorbea C, Elhakiem A, Cazalla D. Shaping the host cell environment with viral noncoding RNAs. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 146:20-30. [PMID: 36581481 PMCID: PMC10101873 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Just like the cells they infect viruses express different classes of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). Viral ncRNAs come in all shapes and forms, and they usually associate with cellular proteins that are important for their functions. Viral ncRNAs have diverse functions, but they all contribute to the viral control of the cellular environment. Viruses utilize ncRNAs to regulate viral replication, to decide whether they should remain latent or reactivate, to evade the host immune responses, or to promote cellular transformation. In this review we describe the diverse functions played by different classes of ncRNAs expressed by adenoviruses and herpesviruses, how they contribute to the viral infection, and how their study led to insights into RNA-based mechanisms at play in host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Gorbea
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Abdalla Elhakiem
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Demián Cazalla
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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2
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Zeng J, Cao D, Yang S, Jaijyan DK, Liu X, Wu S, Cruz-Cosme R, Tang Q, Zhu H. Insights into the Transcriptome of Human Cytomegalovirus: A Comprehensive Review. Viruses 2023; 15:1703. [PMID: 37632045 PMCID: PMC10458407 DOI: 10.3390/v15081703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread pathogen that poses significant risks to immunocompromised individuals. Its genome spans over 230 kbp and potentially encodes over 200 open-reading frames. The HCMV transcriptome consists of various types of RNAs, including messenger RNAs (mRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs), with emerging insights into their biological functions. HCMV mRNAs are involved in crucial viral processes, such as viral replication, transcription, and translation regulation, as well as immune modulation and other effects on host cells. Additionally, four lncRNAs (RNA1.2, RNA2.7, RNA4.9, and RNA5.0) have been identified in HCMV, which play important roles in lytic replication like bypassing acute antiviral responses, promoting cell movement and viral spread, and maintaining HCMV latency. CircRNAs have gained attention for their important and diverse biological functions, including association with different diseases, acting as microRNA sponges, regulating parental gene expression, and serving as translation templates. Remarkably, HCMV encodes miRNAs which play critical roles in silencing human genes and other functions. This review gives an overview of human cytomegalovirus and current research on the HCMV transcriptome during lytic and latent infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Zeng
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, 225 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 070101, USA
| | - Di Cao
- Department of Pain Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518052, China
| | - Shaomin Yang
- Department of Pain Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518052, China
| | - Dabbu Kumar Jaijyan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, 225 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 070101, USA
| | - Xiaolian Liu
- Institute of Pathogenic Organisms, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Songbin Wu
- Department of Pain Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518052, China
| | - Ruth Cruz-Cosme
- Department of Microbiology, Howard University College of Medicine, 520 W Street NW, Washington, DC 20059, USA
| | - Qiyi Tang
- Department of Microbiology, Howard University College of Medicine, 520 W Street NW, Washington, DC 20059, USA
| | - Hua Zhu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, 225 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 070101, USA
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Kulkarni V, Jayakumar S, Mohan M, Kulkarni S. Aid or Antagonize: Nuclear Long Noncoding RNAs Regulate Host Responses and Outcomes of Viral Infections. Cells 2023; 12:987. [PMID: 37048060 PMCID: PMC10093752 DOI: 10.3390/cells12070987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts measuring >200 bp in length and devoid of protein-coding potential. LncRNAs exceed the number of protein-coding mRNAs and regulate cellular, developmental, and immune pathways through diverse molecular mechanisms. In recent years, lncRNAs have emerged as epigenetic regulators with prominent roles in health and disease. Many lncRNAs, either host or virus-encoded, have been implicated in critical cellular defense processes, such as cytokine and antiviral gene expression, the regulation of cell signaling pathways, and the activation of transcription factors. In addition, cellular and viral lncRNAs regulate virus gene expression. Viral infections and associated immune responses alter the expression of host lncRNAs regulating immune responses, host metabolism, and viral replication. The influence of lncRNAs on the pathogenesis and outcomes of viral infections is being widely explored because virus-induced lncRNAs can serve as diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Future studies should focus on thoroughly characterizing lncRNA expressions in virus-infected primary cells, investigating their role in disease prognosis, and developing biologically relevant animal or organoid models to determine their suitability for specific therapeutic targeting. Many cellular and viral lncRNAs localize in the nucleus and epigenetically modulate viral transcription, latency, and host responses to infection. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of nuclear lncRNAs in the pathogenesis and outcomes of viral infections, such as the Influenza A virus, Sendai Virus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Hepatitis C virus, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and Herpes Simplex Virus. We also address significant advances and barriers in characterizing lncRNA function and explore the potential of lncRNAs as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viraj Kulkarni
- Disease Intervention and Prevention Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA;
| | - Sahana Jayakumar
- Host-Pathogen Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (S.J.); (M.M.)
| | - Mahesh Mohan
- Host-Pathogen Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (S.J.); (M.M.)
| | - Smita Kulkarni
- Host-Pathogen Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (S.J.); (M.M.)
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4
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Zou L, Yang Y, Zhou B, Li W, Liu K, Li G, Miao H, Song X, Yang J, Geng Y, Li M, Bao R, Liu Y. tRF-3013b inhibits gallbladder cancer proliferation by targeting TPRG1L. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2022; 27:99. [PMID: 36401185 PMCID: PMC9673407 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-022-00398-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are newly discovered noncoding RNAs and regulate tumor progression via diverse molecular mechanisms. However, the expression and biofunction of tRFs in gallbladder cancer (GBC) have not been reported yet. Methods The expression of tRFs in GBC was detected by tRF and tiRNA sequencing in GBC tissues and adjacent tissues. The biological function of tRFs was investigated by cell proliferation assay, clonal formation assay, cell cycle assay, and xenotransplantation model in GBC cell lines. The molecular mechanism was discovered and verified by transcriptome sequencing, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), target gene site prediction, and RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP). Results tRF-3013b was significantly downregulated in GBC compared with para-cancer tissues. Decreased expression of tRF-3013b in GBC patients was correlated with poor overall survival. Dicer regulated the production of tRF-3013b, and its expression was positively correlated with tRF-3013b in GBC tissues. Functional experiments demonstrated that tRF-3013b inhibited GBC cell proliferation and induced cell-cycle arrest. Mechanically, tRF-3013b exerted RNA silencing effect on TPRG1L by binding to AGO3, and then inhibited NF-κB. TPRG1L overexpression could rescue the effects of tRF-3013b on GBC cell proliferation. Conclusions This study indicated that Dicer-induced tRF-3013b inhibited GBC proliferation by targeting TPRG1L and repressed NF-κB, pointing to tRF-3013b as a novel potential therapeutic target of GBC. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s11658-022-00398-6.
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Lee S, Kim H, Hong A, Song J, Lee S, Kim M, Hwang SY, Jeong D, Kim J, Son A, Lee YS, Kim VN, Kim JS, Chang H, Ahn K. Functional and molecular dissection of HCMV long non-coding RNAs. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19303. [PMID: 36369338 PMCID: PMC9652368 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23317-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Small, compact genomes confer a selective advantage to viruses, yet human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) expresses the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs); RNA1.2, RNA2.7, RNA4.9, and RNA5.0. Little is known about the function of these lncRNAs in the virus life cycle. Here, we dissected the functional and molecular landscape of HCMV lncRNAs. We found that HCMV lncRNAs occupy ~ 30% and 50-60% of total and poly(A)+viral transcriptome, respectively, throughout virus life cycle. RNA1.2, RNA2.7, and RNA4.9, the three abundantly expressed lncRNAs, appear to be essential in all infection states. Among these three lncRNAs, depletion of RNA2.7 and RNA4.9 results in the greatest defect in maintaining latent reservoir and promoting lytic replication, respectively. Moreover, we delineated the global post-transcriptional nature of HCMV lncRNAs by nanopore direct RNA sequencing and interactome analysis. We revealed that the lncRNAs are modified with N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and interact with m6A readers in all infection states. In-depth analysis demonstrated that m6A machineries stabilize HCMV lncRNAs, which could account for the overwhelming abundance of viral lncRNAs. Our study lays the groundwork for understanding the viral lncRNA-mediated regulation of host-virus interaction throughout the HCMV life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungwon Lee
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Hyewon Kim
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Ari Hong
- grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Interdisciplinary Program in Bioinformatics, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Jaewon Song
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Sungyul Lee
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Myeonghwan Kim
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-yeon Hwang
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Dongjoon Jeong
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Jeesoo Kim
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Ahyeon Son
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Young-suk Lee
- grid.37172.300000 0001 2292 0500Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141 Republic of Korea
| | - V. Narry Kim
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-seo Kim
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeshik Chang
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Interdisciplinary Program in Bioinformatics, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
| | - Kwangseog Ahn
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea ,grid.410720.00000 0004 1784 4496Institute for Basic Science, Center for RNA Research, Seoul, 08826 Republic of Korea
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Yu Z, Wang J, Nan F, Shi W, Zhang X, Jiang S, Wang B. Human Cytomegalovirus Induced Aberrant Expression of Non-coding RNAs. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:918213. [PMID: 35770158 PMCID: PMC9234646 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.918213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a β-herpesvirus whose genome consists of double stranded linear DNA. HCMV genome can generate non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) through transcription in its host cells. Besides that, HCMV infection also changes the ncRNAs expression profile of the host cells. ncRNAs play a key role in maintaining the normal physiological activity of cells, and the disorder of ncRNAs expression has numerous adverse effects on cells. However, until now, the relationship between ncRNAs and HCMV-induced adverse effects are not summarized in detail. This review aims to give a systematic summary of the role of HCMV infection in ncRNAs expression while providing insights into the molecular mechanism of unnormal cellular events caused by ncRNAs disorder. ncRNAs disorder induced by HCMV infection is highly associated with cell proliferation, apoptosis, tumorigenesis, and immune regulation, as well as the development of cardiovascular diseases, and the potential role of biomarker. We summarize the studies on HCMV associated ncRNAs disorder and suggest innovative strategies for eliminating the adverse effects caused by HCMV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongjie Yu
- Department of Special Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Oral Research Center, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Fulong Nan
- Department of Special Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenyi Shi
- Oral Research Center, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Xianjuan Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shasha Jiang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Special Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- *Correspondence: Bin Wang,
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An eIF3d-dependent switch regulates HCMV replication by remodeling the infected cell translation landscape to mimic chronic ER stress. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110767. [PMID: 35508137 PMCID: PMC9127984 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulated loading of eIF3-bound 40S ribosomes on capped mRNA is generally dependent upon the translation initiation factor eIF4E; however, mRNA translation often proceeds during physiological stress, such as virus infection, when eIF4E availability and activity are limiting. It remains poorly understood how translation of virus and host mRNAs are regulated during infection stress. While initially sensitive to mTOR inhibition, which limits eIF4E-dependent translation, we show that protein synthesis in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-infected cells unexpectedly becomes progressively reliant upon eIF3d. Targeting eIF3d selectively inhibits HCMV replication, reduces polyribosome abundance, and interferes with expression of essential virus genes and a host gene expression signature indicative of chronic ER stress that fosters HCMV reproduction. This reveals a strategy whereby cellular eIF3d-dependent protein production is hijacked to exploit virus-induced ER stress. Moreover, it establishes how switching between eIF4E and eIF3d-responsive cap-dependent translation can differentially tune virus and host gene expression in infected cells. Instead of eIF4E-regulated ribosome loading, Thompson et al. show capped mRNA translation in HCMV-infected cells becomes reliant upon eIF3d. Depleting eIF3d inhibits HCMV replication, reduces polyribosomes, and restricts virus late gene and host chronic ER stress-induced gene expression. Thus, switching to eIF3d-responsive translation tunes gene expression to support virus replication.
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The Emerging Role of Non-Coding RNAs in the Regulation of Virus Replication and Resultant Cellular Pathologies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020815. [PMID: 35055001 PMCID: PMC8775676 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs, particularly lncRNAs and miRNAs, have recently been shown to regulate different steps in viral infections and induction of immune responses against viruses. Expressions of several host and viral lncRNAs have been found to be altered during viral infection. These lncRNAs can exert antiviral function via inhibition of viral infection or stimulation of antiviral immune response. Some other lncRNAs can promote viral replication or suppress antiviral responses. The current review summarizes the interaction between ncRNAs and herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein–Barr infections. The data presented in this review helps identify viral-related regulators and proposes novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of viral infection.
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Lau B, Kerr K, Camiolo S, Nightingale K, Gu Q, Antrobus R, Suárez NM, Loney C, Stanton RJ, Weekes MP, Davison AJ. Human Cytomegalovirus RNA2.7 Is Required for Upregulating Multiple Cellular Genes To Promote Cell Motility and Viral Spread Late in Lytic Infection. J Virol 2021; 95:e0069821. [PMID: 34346763 PMCID: PMC8475523 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00698-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are frequently associated with broad modulation of gene expression and thus provide the cell with the ability to synchronize entire metabolic processes. We used transcriptomic approaches to investigate whether the most abundant human cytomegalovirus-encoded lncRNA, RNA2.7, has this characteristic. By comparing cells infected with wild-type virus (WT) to cells infected with RNA2.7 deletion mutants, RNA2.7 was implicated in regulating a large number of cellular genes late in lytic infection. Pathway analysis indicated that >100 of these genes are associated with promoting cell movement, and the 10 most highly regulated of these were validated in further experiments. Morphological analysis and live cell tracking of WT- and RNA2.7 mutant-infected cells indicated that RNA2.7 is involved in promoting the movement and detachment of infected cells late in infection, and plaque assays using sparse cell monolayers indicated that RNA2.7 is also involved in promoting cell-to-cell spread of virus. Consistent with the observation that upregulated mRNAs are relatively A+U-rich, which is a trait associated with transcript instability, and that they are also enriched in motifs associated with mRNA instability, transcriptional inhibition experiments on WT- and RNA2.7 mutant-infected cells showed that four upregulated transcripts lived longer in the presence of RNA2.7. These findings demonstrate that RNA2.7 is required for promoting cell movement and viral spread late in infection and suggest that this may be due to general stabilization of A+U-rich transcripts. IMPORTANCE In addition to messenger RNAs (mRNAs), the human genome encodes a large number of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Many lncRNAs that have been studied in detail are associated with broad modulation of gene expression and have important biological roles. Human cytomegalovirus, which is a large, clinically important DNA virus, specifies four lncRNAs, one of which (RNA2.7) is expressed at remarkably high levels during lytic infection. Our studies show that RNA2.7 is required for upregulating a large number of human genes, about 100 of which are associated with cell movement, and for promoting the movement of infected cells and the spread of virus from one cell to another. Further bioinformatic and experimental analyses indicated that RNA2.7 may exert these effects by stabilizing mRNAs that are relatively rich in A and U nucleotides. These findings increase our knowledge of how human cytomegalovirus regulates the infected cell to promote its own success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betty Lau
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Kerr
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Salvatore Camiolo
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Katie Nightingale
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Quan Gu
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Robin Antrobus
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolás M. Suárez
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Loney
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. Stanton
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P. Weekes
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J. Davison
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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Chan B, Arapović M, Masters LL, Rwandamuiye F, Jonjić S, Smith LM, Redwood AJ. The m15 Locus of Murine Cytomegalovirus Modulates Natural Killer Cell Responses to Promote Dissemination to the Salivary Glands and Viral Shedding. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10070866. [PMID: 34358016 PMCID: PMC8308470 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10070866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
As the largest herpesviruses, the 230 kb genomes of cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) have increased our understanding of host immunity and viral escape mechanisms, although many of the annotated genes remain as yet uncharacterised. Here we identify the m15 locus of murine CMV (MCMV) as a viral modulator of natural killer (NK) cell immunity. We show that, rather than discrete transcripts from the m14, m15 and m16 genes as annotated, there are five 3′-coterminal transcripts expressed over this region, all utilising a consensus polyA tail at the end of the m16 gene. Functional inactivation of any one of these genes had no measurable impact on viral replication. However, disruption of all five transcripts led to significantly attenuated dissemination to, and replication in, the salivary glands of multiple strains of mice, but normal growth during acute infection. Disruption of the m15 locus was associated with heightened NK cell responses, including enhanced proliferation and IFNγ production. Depletion of NK cells, but not T cells, rescued salivary gland replication and viral shedding. These data demonstrate the identification of multiple transcripts expressed by a single locus which modulate, perhaps in a concerted fashion, the function of anti-viral NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baca Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (B.C.); (L.L.M.); (F.R.); (L.M.S.)
- Institute of Respiratory Health, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Maja Arapović
- Department for Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (M.A.); (S.J.)
| | - Laura L. Masters
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (B.C.); (L.L.M.); (F.R.); (L.M.S.)
| | - Francois Rwandamuiye
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (B.C.); (L.L.M.); (F.R.); (L.M.S.)
| | - Stipan Jonjić
- Department for Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (M.A.); (S.J.)
| | - Lee M. Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (B.C.); (L.L.M.); (F.R.); (L.M.S.)
| | - Alec J. Redwood
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; (B.C.); (L.L.M.); (F.R.); (L.M.S.)
- Institute of Respiratory Health, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-8-6151-0895
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