Schultz S, Gomard-Henshaw K, Muller M
Microbiology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
J Med Virol. 2025 Jan;97(1):e70140. doi: 10.1002/jmv.70140.
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus is an oncogenic gammaherpesvirus that plays a major role in several human malignancies, including Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, and multicentric Castleman's disease. The complexity of KSHV biology is reflected in the sophisticated regulation of its biphasic life cycle, consisting of a quiescent latent phase and virion-producing lytic replication. KSHV expresses coding and noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs, which play crucial roles in modulating viral gene expression, immune evasion, and intercellular communication. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of RNA modifications, also known as the epitranscriptome, in regulating KSHV-encoded RNAs, adding a novel layer of posttranscriptional control previously unknown. These RNA modifications, such as N-methyladenosine, A-to-I editing, and N-acetylcytidine, are involved in fine-tuning KSHV gene expression during both latency and lytic replication. Understanding the role of RNA modifications in KSHV infection is essential for revealing new regulatory mechanisms and identifying therapeutic opportunities. Targeting these RNA modifications could serve as a strategy to disrupt key viral processes, offering promising insights into KSHV pathogenesis and therapeutic interventions.
卡波西肉瘤相关疱疹病毒是一种致癌性γ疱疹病毒，在多种人类恶性肿瘤中起主要作用，包括卡波西肉瘤、原发性渗出性淋巴瘤和多中心Castleman病。卡波西肉瘤相关疱疹病毒生物学的复杂性体现在其双相生命周期的复杂调控中，该生命周期包括静止的潜伏期和产生病毒粒子的裂解复制期。卡波西肉瘤相关疱疹病毒表达编码和非编码RNA，包括微小RNA和长链非编码RNA，它们在调节病毒基因表达、免疫逃逸和细胞间通讯中起关键作用。最近的研究强调了RNA修饰（也称为表观转录组）在调节卡波西肉瘤相关疱疹病毒编码的RNA中的重要性，增加了一层以前未知的转录后控制。这些RNA修饰，如N-甲基腺苷、A-to-I编辑和N-乙酰胞苷，在潜伏期和裂解复制期都参与微调卡波西肉瘤相关疱疹病毒的基因表达。了解RNA修饰在卡波西肉瘤相关疱疹病毒感染中的作用对于揭示新的调控机制和确定治疗机会至关重要。针对这些RNA修饰可作为一种破坏关键病毒过程的策略，为卡波西肉瘤相关疱疹病毒的发病机制和治疗干预提供有前景的见解。
