The Role of microRNAs in the Viral Infections

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (39) ◽  
pp. 4659-4667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Fani ◽  
Milad Zandi ◽  
Majid Rezayi ◽  
Nastaran Khodadad ◽  
Hadis Langari ◽  
...  

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs with 19 to 24 nucleotides which are evolutionally conserved. MicroRNAs play a regulatory role in many cellular functions such as immune mechanisms, apoptosis, and tumorigenesis. The main function of miRNAs is the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression via mRNA degradation or inhibition of translation. In fact, many of them act as an oncogene or tumor suppressor. These molecular structures participate in many physiological and pathological processes of the cell. The virus can also produce them for developing its pathogenic processes. It was initially thought that viruses without nuclear replication cycle such as Poxviridae and RNA viruses can not code miRNA, but recently, it has been proven that RNA viruses can also produce miRNA. The aim of this articles is to describe viral miRNAs biogenesis and their effects on cellular and viral genes.

2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (6) ◽  
pp. 233-239
Author(s):  
Xu Hui ◽  
Hisham Al-Ward ◽  
Fahmi Shaher ◽  
Chun-Yang Liu ◽  
Ning Liu

<b><i>Background:</i></b> MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a group of non-coding RNAs measuring 19–23 nucleotides in length and are recognized as powerful molecules that regulate gene expression in eukaryotic cells. miRNAs stimulate the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression via direct or indirect mechanisms. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> miR-210 is highly upregulated in cells under hypoxia, thereby revealing its significance to cell endurance. Induction of this mRNA expression is an important feature of the cellular low-oxygen response and the most consistent and vigorous target of HIF. <b><i>Key Message:</i></b> miR-210 is involved in many cellular functions under the effect of HIF-1α, including the cell cycle, DNA repair, immunity and inflammation, angiogenesis, metabolism, and macrophage regulation. It also plays an important regulatory role in T-cell differentiation and stimulation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Bujak ◽  
Patrycja Kopytko ◽  
Małgorzata Lubecka ◽  
Katarzyna Sokołowska ◽  
Maciej Tarnowski

Angiogenesis is the process that leads to the formation of new blood vessels. Under physiological conditions it occurs, inter alia, during corpus luteum formation and in some stages of the menstrual cycle. However, angiogenesis plays an essential role in many pathological conditions, particularly cancer. New blood vessel formation provides cancer cells with oxygen and essential nutrients, which stimulates tumor growth and facilitates its metastasis. Increasing evidence indicates that angiogenesis is regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs), which are small non-coding RNA molecules of 19–25 nucleotides. The main function of miRNAs is post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, which controls many key biological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. Endothelial miRNAs, known as angiomiRs, are presumably involved in tumor development and angiogenesis through regulation of pro- and antiangiogenic factors. To date, the miRNAs that stimulate angiogenesis are: miR-9, miR-27a, miR-30d, miR0-130b, miR-139, miR-146a, miR-150, miR-155, miR-200c, miR-296 and miR-558. Conversely, miRNAs that inhibit angiogenesis are: miR-145, miR-519c, miR-22, miR-20a, miR-92, miR-7b, miR-221, miR-222, miR-328 and miR-101.


Open Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1003-1011
Author(s):  
Guanyu Zhang ◽  
Yiran Li ◽  
Jiasheng Xu ◽  
Zhenfang Xiong

AbstractOsteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the skeletal system in the clinic. It mainly occurs in adolescent patients and the pathogenesis of the disease is very complicated. The distant metastasis may occur in the early stage, and the prognosis is poor. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs of about 18–25 nt in length that are involved in post-transcriptional regulation of genes. miRNAs can regulate target gene expression by promoting the degradation of target mRNAs or inhibiting the translation process, thereby the proliferation of OS cells can be inhibited and the apoptosis can be promoted; in this way, miRNAs can affect the metabolism of OS cells and can also participate in the occurrence, invasion, metastasis, and recurrence of OS. Some miRNAs have already been found to be closely related to the prognosis of patients with OS. Unlike other reviews, this review summarizes the miRNA molecules closely related to the development, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of OS in recent years. The expression and influence of miRNA molecule on OS were discussed in detail, and the related research progress was summarized to provide a new research direction for early diagnosis and treatment of OS.


NAR Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keisuke Katsushima ◽  
George Jallo ◽  
Charles G Eberhart ◽  
Ranjan J Perera

Abstract Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to be central players in the epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. There is an accumulation of evidence on newly discovered lncRNAs, their molecular interactions and their roles in the development and progression of human brain tumors. LncRNAs can have either tumor suppressive or oncogenic functions in different brain cancers, making them attractive therapeutic targets and biomarkers for personalized therapy and precision diagnostics. Here, we summarize the current state of knowledge of the lncRNAs that have been implicated in brain cancer pathogenesis, particularly in gliomas and medulloblastomas. We discuss their epigenetic regulation as well as the prospects of using lncRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in patients with brain tumors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Rakhmetkazhy Bersimbaev ◽  
Olga Bulgakova ◽  
Akmaral Aripova ◽  
Assiya Kussainova ◽  
Oralbek Ilderbayev

MicroRNAs are a class of small noncoding endogenous RNAs 19–25 nucleotides long, which play an important role in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression by targeting mRNA targets with subsequent repression of translation. MicroRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, including cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the world. Lung cancer is usually associated with tobacco smoking. However, about 25% of lung cancer cases occur in people who have never smoked. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, asbestos has been classified as one of the cancerogenic factors for lung cancer. The mechanism of malignant transformation under the influence of asbestos is associated with the genotoxic effect of reactive oxygen species, which initiate the processes of DNA damage in the cell. However, epigenetic mechanisms such as changes in the microRNA expression profile may also be implicated in the pathogenesis of asbestos-induced lung cancer. Numerous studies have shown that microRNAs can serve as a biomarker of the effects of various adverse environmental factors on the human body. This review examines the role of microRNAs, the expression profile of which changes upon exposure to asbestos, in key processes of carcinogenesis, such as proliferation, cell survival, metastasis, neo-angiogenesis, and immune response avoidance.


Biomedicines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 553
Author(s):  
Jessica Maiuolo ◽  
Micaela Gliozzi ◽  
Vincenzo Musolino ◽  
Cristina Carresi ◽  
Saverio Nucera ◽  
...  

Oligodendrocytes are myelinating cells of the central nervous system which are generated by progenitor oligodendrocytes as a result of maturation processes. The main function of mature oligodendrocytes is to produce myelin, a lipid-rich multi-lamellar membrane that wraps tightly around neuronal axons, insulating them and facilitating nerve conduction through saltatory propagation. The myelination process requires the consumption a large amount of energy and a high metabolic turnover. Mitochondria are essential organelles which regulate many cellular functions, including energy production through oxidative phosphorylation. Any mitochondrial dysfunction impacts cellular metabolism and negatively affects the health of the organism. If the functioning of the mitochondria is unbalanced, the myelination process is impaired. When myelination has finished, oligodendrocyte will have synthesized about 40% of the total lipids present in the brain. Since lipid synthesis occurs in the cellular endoplasmic reticulum, the dysfunction of this organelle can lead to partial or deficient myelination, triggering numerous neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, the induced malfunction of oligodendrocytes by harmful exogenous stimuli has been outlined. In particular, the effects of alcohol consumption and heavy metal intake are discussed. Furthermore, the response of the oligodendrocyte to excessive mitochondrial oxidative stress and to the altered regulation of the functioning of the endoplasmic reticulum will be explored.


2020 ◽  
pp. jcs.251835
Author(s):  
Azia S. Evans ◽  
Nicholas J. Lennemann ◽  
Carolyn B. Coyne

Autophagy is a degradative cellular pathway that targets cytoplasmic contents and organelles for turnover by the lysosome. Various autophagy pathways play key roles in the clearance of viral infections, and many families of viruses have developed unique methods for avoiding degradation. Some positive stranded RNA viruses, such as enteroviruses and flaviviruses, usurp the autophagic pathway to promote their own replication. We previously identified the endoplasmic reticulum-localized protein BPIFB3 as an important negative regulator of non-canonical autophagy that uniquely impacts the replication of enteroviruses and flaviviruses. Here, we find that many components of the canonical autophagy machinery are not required for BPIFB3 depletion induced autophagy and identify the host factors that facilitate its role in the replication of enteroviruses and flaviviruses. Using proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) followed by mass spectrometry, we identify ARFGAP1 and TMED9 as two cellular components that interact with BPIFB3 to regulate autophagy and viral replication. Importantly, our data demonstrate that non-canonical autophagy in mammalian cells can be controlled outside of the traditional pathway regulators and define the role of two proteins in BPIFB3 depletion mediated non-canonical autophagy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 880-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik Täuber ◽  
Stefan Hüttelmaier ◽  
Marcel Köhn

Abstract A large variety of eukaryotic small structured POLIII-derived non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been described in the past. However, for only few, e.g. 7SL and H1/MRP families, cellular functions are well understood. For the vast majority of these transcripts, cellular functions remain unknown. Recent findings on the role of Y RNAs and other POLIII-derived ncRNAs suggest an evolutionarily conserved function of these ncRNAs in the assembly and function of ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs). These RNPs provide cellular `machineries’, which are essential for guiding the fate and function of a variety of RNAs. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the role of POLIII-derived ncRNAs in the assembly and function of RNPs. We propose that these ncRNAs serve as scaffolding factors that `chaperone’ RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) to form functional RNPs. In addition or associated with this role, some small ncRNAs act as molecular decoys impairing the RBP-guided control of RNA fate by competing with other RNA substrates. This suggests that POLIII-derived ncRNAs serve essential and conserved roles in the assembly of larger RNPs and thus the control of gene expression by indirectly guiding the fate of mRNAs and lncRNAs.


Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 765
Author(s):  
José Manuel Reyes-Ruiz ◽  
Juan Fidel Osuna-Ramos ◽  
Luis Adrián De Jesús-González ◽  
Selvin Noé Palacios-Rápalo ◽  
Carlos Daniel Cordero-Rivera ◽  
...  

The arthropod-borne flaviviruses are important human pathogens, and a deeper understanding of the virus–host cell interaction is required to identify cellular targets that can be used as therapeutic candidates. It is well reported that the flaviviruses hijack several cellular functions, such as exosome-mediated cell communication during infection, which is modulated by the delivery of the exosomal cargo of pro- or antiviral molecules to the receiving host cells. Therefore, to study the role of exosomes during flavivirus infections is essential, not only to understand its relevance in virus–host interaction, but also to identify molecular factors that may contribute to the development of new strategies to block these viral infections. This review explores the implications of exosomes in flavivirus dissemination and transmission from the vector to human host cells, as well as their involvement in the host immune response. The hypothesis about exosomes as a transplacental infection route of ZIKV and the paradox effect or the dual role of exosomes released during flavivirus infection are also discussed here. Although several studies have been performed in order to identify and characterize cellular and viral molecules released in exosomes, it is not clear how all of these components participate in viral pathogenesis. Further studies will determine the balance between protective and harmful exosomes secreted by flavivirus infected cells, the characteristics and components that distinguish them both, and how they could be a factor that determines the infection outcome.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dag H. Coucheron ◽  
Marcin W. Wojewodzic ◽  
Thomas Bøhn

Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that function in RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in most organisms. The water flea, Daphnia magna is a key model to study phenotypic, physiological and genomic responses to environmental cues and miRNAs can potentially mediate these responses. By using deep sequencing, genome mapping and manual curations, we have characterised the miRNAome of D. magna. We identified 66 conserved miRNAs and 13 novel miRNAs; all of these were found in the three studied life stages of D. magna (juveniles, subadults, adults), but with variation in expression levels between stages. Forty-one of the miRNAs were clustered into 13 genome clusters also present in the D. pulex genome. Most miRNAs contained sequence variants (isomiRs). The highest expressed isomiRs were 3′ template variants with one nucleotide deletion or 3′ non-template variants with addition of A or U at the 3′ end. We also identified offset RNAs (moRs) and loop RNAs (loRs). Our work extends the base for further work on all species (miRNA, isomiRs, moRNAs, loRNAs) of the miRNAome of Daphnia as biomarkers in response to chemical substances and environment cues, and underline age dependency.


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