miRNAs in SARS-CoV 2: A Spoke in the Wheel of Pathogenesis

INTRODUCTION

The rapid emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-- CoV-2) has resulted in an increased mortality rate across the globe. However, the underlying mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 altering human immune response is still elusive. The existing literature on miRNA mediated pathogenesis of RNA virus viz. Dengue virus, West Nile virus, etc. raises a suspicion that miRNA encoded by SARS-CoV-2 might facilitate virus replication and regulate the host's gene expression at the post-transcriptional level.

METHODS

We investigated this possibility via computational prediction of putative miRNAs encoded by the SARS-CoV-2 genome using a novel systematic pipeline that predicts putative mature-miRNA and their targeted genes transcripts. To trace down if viral-miRNAs targeted the genes critical to the immune pathway, we assessed whether mature miRNA transcripts exhibit effective hybridization with the 3'UTR region of human gene transcripts. Conversely, we also tried to study human miRNA-mediated viral gene regulation to get insight into the miRNA mediated offense and defense mechanism of virus and its host organisms in toto.

RESULTS

Our analysis led us to shortlist six putative miRNAs that target, majorly, genes related to cell proliferation/ differentiation/signaling, and senescence. Nonetheless, they also target immune-related genes that directly/ indirectly orchestrate immune pathways like TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) signaling and Chemokine signaling pathways putatively serving as the nucleus to cytokine storms.

CONCLUSION

Besides, these six miRNAs were found to be conserved so far across 80 complete genomes of SARS-CoV-2 (NCBI Virus, last assessed 12 April 2020) including Indian strains that are also targeted by 7 human miRNAs and can, therefore, be exploited to develop MicroRNA-Attenuated Vaccines.

Transcriptomic and Functional Pathway Analysis of Human Cervical Carcinoma Cancer Cells Response to Microtubule Inhibitor

BACKGROUND

There clearly is a need for effective chemotherapy for early-stage, high-risk patients with human cervical carcinoma. Vinblastine (VBL) is a key microtubule inhibitor, but unproven in its mechanisms as an important antitumor agent in cervical carcinoma.

METHODS

We selected the concentration of vinblastine inducing 30% cell death for analyses assessing the DNA content, gene expression and transcriptional gene regulation of VBL-treated KB-3 cells.

RESULTS

Transcriptomic and hierarchical clustering analysis demonstrated that treatment of KB-3 cells with VBL altered the expression of a diverse group of genes with G2/M arrest, which regulated by four oncogenic or tumor suppresser transcription factors (AP1, NFKB1, RELA, and TP53). Functional pathway analysis revealed the disease response to the biological effects of vinblastine in cervical carcinoma chemotherapy including protein ubiquitination pathway, RhoGDI signaling, integrin signaling, agranulocyte adhesion and biapedesis, and actin nucleation pathways. Northern blots also confirmed that KRT-7, FN14, IER3, and ID1 were deregulated in VBL-treated KB-3 cells.

CONCLUSION

Transcriptional time series profiles and a functional pathway analysis of VBL-treated KB-3 cells will provide a new strategy for improving microtubule inhibitor chemotherapy for cervical carcinoma.