MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an endogenously encoded class of small RNAs that function as key post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in a range of eukaryotes, including humans. The small size of miRNA precursors, and the lack of antigenicity of miRNAs, makes them potentially ideal for viruses as inhibitors of innate or adaptive host cell defense pathways. Indeed, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was recently shown to encode several miRNAs and we have shown that Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) also expresses 11 distinct miRNAs in latently infected cells. This observation raises the possibility that these miRNAs may play an important role in KSHV replication and pathogenesis. In this application, we propose a series of experiments to define the cellular mRNA targets and biological functions of miRNAs encoded by KSHV, EBV and by the related Simian Gamma herpesviruses Rhesus Rhadinovirus (RRV) and herpesvirus Saimiri (HVS). In the case of KSHV and EBV, we will express individual or multiple KSHV miRNAs in uninfected human B cells and then measure the effect of miRNA expression on the mRNA expression profile, on the expression of specific cell surface makers and on the growth characteristics and apoptosis resistance of the cells. Similarly, we will block the expression of individual KSHV miRNAs in the latently KSHV infected cell line BCBL-1 using 2'-O-methyl antisense oligonucleotides and monitor not only the parameters listed above but also the effect on KSHV latency and activation of lytic replication in response to TPA treatment. For both HVS and RRV, we will first clone and characterize the miRNAs encoded by these viruses and then derive a series of RRV and HVS mutants lacking one or more of these miRNAs. The ability of these Simian viruses to replicate lytically or to establish latent infections will then be monitored in culture. Together, these studies should identify human mRNA targets for several KSHV and EBV miRNAs and shed light on the role of these miRNAs in the replication cycle of Gamma herpesviruses in general. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI067968-03
Application #
7435332
Study Section
Virology - A Study Section (VIRA)
Program Officer
Beisel, Christopher E
Project Start
2006-06-01
Project End
2011-05-31
Budget Start
2008-06-01
Budget End
2009-05-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$334,345
Indirect Cost
Name
Duke University
Department
Genetics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
044387793
City
Durham
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27705
Poling, Brigid Chiyoko; Price, Alexander M; Luftig, Micah A et al. (2017) The Epstein-Barr virus miR-BHRF1 microRNAs regulate viral gene expression in cis. Virology 512:113-123
Poling, Brigid Chiyoko; Tsai, Kevin; Kang, Dong et al. (2017) A lentiviral vector bearing a reverse intron demonstrates superior expression of both proteins and microRNAs. RNA Biol 14:1570-1579
Gregorovic, Goran; Boulden, Elizabeth A; Bosshard, Rachel et al. (2015) Epstein-Barr Viruses (EBVs) Deficient in EBV-Encoded RNAs Have Higher Levels of Latent Membrane Protein 2 RNA Expression in Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines and Efficiently Establish Persistent Infections in Humanized Mice. J Virol 89:11711-4
Kang, Dong; Skalsky, Rebecca L; Cullen, Bryan R (2015) EBV BART MicroRNAs Target Multiple Pro-apoptotic Cellular Genes to Promote Epithelial Cell Survival. PLoS Pathog 11:e1004979
Skalsky, Rebecca L; Cullen, Bryan R (2015) EBV Noncoding RNAs. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 391:181-217
Kennedy, Edward M; Cullen, Bryan R (2015) Bacterial CRISPR/Cas DNA endonucleases: A revolutionary technology that could dramatically impact viral research and treatment. Virology 479-480:213-20
Parnas, Oren; Corcoran, David L; Cullen, Bryan R (2014) Analysis of the mRNA targetome of microRNAs expressed by Marek's disease virus. MBio 5:e01060-13
Flores, Omar; Kennedy, Edward M; Skalsky, Rebecca L et al. (2014) Differential RISC association of endogenous human microRNAs predicts their inhibitory potential. Nucleic Acids Res 42:4629-39
Skalsky, Rebecca L; Kang, Dong; Linnstaedt, Sarah D et al. (2014) Evolutionary conservation of primate lymphocryptovirus microRNA targets. J Virol 88:1617-35
Majoros, William H; Lekprasert, Parawee; Mukherjee, Neelanjan et al. (2013) MicroRNA target site identification by integrating sequence and binding information. Nat Methods 10:630-3

Showing the most recent 10 out of 35 publications