Ojha Chet Raj, Rodriguez Myosotys, Dever Seth M, Mukhopadhyay Rita, El-Hage Nazira
Department of Immunology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Florida, USA.
Department of Cellular Biology and Pharmacology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Florida, USA.
J Biomed Sci. 2016 Oct 26;23(1):74. doi: 10.1186/s12929-016-0292-x.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are small non-coding RNAs expressed by almost all metazoans, have key roles in the regulation of cell differentiation, organism development and gene expression. Thousands of miRNAs regulating approximately 60 % of the total human genome have been identified. They regulate genetic expression either by direct cleavage or by translational repression of the target mRNAs recognized through partial complementary base pairing. The active and functional unit of miRNA is its complex with Argonaute proteins known as the microRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC). De-regulated miRNA expression in the human cell may contribute to a diverse group of disorders including cancer, cardiovascular dysfunctions, liver damage, immunological dysfunction, metabolic syndromes and pathogenic infections. Current day studies have revealed that miRNAs are indeed a pivotal component of host-pathogen interactions and host immune responses toward microorganisms. miRNA is emerging as a tool for genetic study, therapeutic development and diagnosis for human pathogenic infections caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi. Many pathogens can exploit the host miRNA system for their own benefit such as surviving inside the host cell, replication, pathogenesis and bypassing some host immune barriers, while some express pathogen-encoded miRNA inside the host contributing to their replication, survival and/or latency. In this review, we discuss the role and significance of miRNA in relation to some pathogenic viruses.
微小RNA（miRNA）是几乎所有后生动物都能表达的小型非编码RNA，在细胞分化、生物体发育和基因表达的调控中发挥着关键作用。现已鉴定出数千种调控人类基因组总量约60%的miRNA。它们通过直接切割或通过对通过部分互补碱基配对识别的靶mRNA进行翻译抑制来调控基因表达。miRNA的活性和功能单位是其与AGO蛋白形成的复合物，即微小RNA诱导沉默复合体（miRISC）。人类细胞中miRNA表达失调可能导致多种疾病，包括癌症、心血管功能障碍、肝损伤、免疫功能障碍、代谢综合征和病原体感染。目前的研究表明，miRNA确实是宿主与病原体相互作用以及宿主对微生物免疫反应的关键组成部分。miRNA正逐渐成为一种用于遗传研究、治疗开发和诊断由病毒、细菌、寄生虫和真菌引起的人类病原体感染的工具。许多病原体可以利用宿主的miRNA系统为自身谋利，例如在宿主细胞内生存、复制、致病以及绕过一些宿主免疫屏障，而一些病原体在宿主体内表达病原体编码的miRNA，有助于其复制、存活和/或潜伏。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了miRNA与一些致病病毒相关的作用和意义。
