siRNA, miRNA and HIV: promises and challenges.
Small interfering RNA (siRNA) and microRNA (miRNA) are small RNAs of 18-25 nucleotides (nt) in length that play important roles in regulating gene expression. They are incorporated into an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) and serve as guides for silencing their corresponding target mRNAs based on complementary base-pairing. The promise of gene silencing has led many researchers to consider siRNA as an anti-viral tool. However, in long-term settings, many viruses appear to escape from this therapeutical strategy. An example of this may be seen in the case of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) which is able to evade RNA silencing by either mutating the siRNA-targeted sequence or by encoding for a partial suppressor of RNAi (RNA interference). On the other hand, because miRNA targeting does not require absolute complementarity of base-pairing, mutational escape by viruses from miRNA-specified silencing may be more difficult to achieve. In this review, we discuss stratagems used by various viruses to avoid the cells' antiviral si/mi-RNA defenses and notions of how viruses might control and regulate host cell genes by encoding viral miRNAs (vmiRNAs).
Yeung
Man Lung
ML
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0460, USA.
Bennasser
Yamina
Y
LE
Shu Yun
SY
Jeang
Kuan Teh
KT
D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*
D035683:MicroRNAs; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012367:RNA, Viral