title: Regulation of hepatitis C virus by microRNA-122.
abstract: Most metazoan miRNAs (microRNAs) bind to sites in the 3'-UTRs (untranslated regions) of mRNA targets and negatively regulate protein synthesis. The liver-specific miR-122, however, exerts a positive effect on HCV (hepatitis C virus) RNA levels by binding directly to a site in the 5'-UTR of the viral RNA. HCV translation and RNA stability are unaffected, and therefore miR-122 is likely to act at the level of viral replication. The miR-122-binding site in HCV RNA was examined to determine whether the nature of the site is responsible for the unusual mode of action for a miRNA. When the site was placed in the 3'-UTR of a reporter mRNA, miR-122 repressed translation, and therefore the location of the miR-122-binding site dictates its effect on gene expression. Additionally, a second binding site for miR-122 was identified in the HCV 5'-UTR, and miR-122 binding to both sites in the same viral RNA was found to be necessary for viral replication. The two sites are adjacent and are separated by a short spacer, which is largely conserved between HCV genotypes. The binding site requirements for miR-122 to positively regulate HCV replication provide an insight into this unusual mode of miRNA action.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK. catherine.jopling@nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Catherine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Jopling
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; C531907:MIRN122 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs