miRNA
- Research ArticleHuman Cytomegalovirus miR-US25-1 Targets the GTPase RhoA To Inhibit CD34+ Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Proliferation To Maintain the Latent Viral Genome
Each herpesvirus family establishes latency in a unique cell type. Since herpesviruses genomes are maintained as episomes, the viruses need to devise mechanisms to retain the latent genome during cell division.
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIntergenerational Pathogen-Induced Diapause in Caenorhabditis elegans Is Modulated by mir-243
Persistent infection of the bacterivore nematode C. elegans with bacteria such as P. aeruginosa and S. enterica makes the worm diapause or hibernate. By doing this, the worm closes its mouth, avoiding infection. This response...
- Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologyDecreased, Deformed, Defective—How HIV-1 Vpu Targets Peroxisomes
Peroxisomes are found in essentially all eukaryotic cells and have been described as important hubs in innate sensing and the induction of type III interferons upon viral infection. Nevertheless, it remains poorly investigated how viral pathogens modulate biogenesis or function of peroxisomes to evade innate sensing and restriction. In a recent study, Hobman and colleagues found that the accessory viral protein u (Vpu) of HIV-1 inhibits...
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA MicroRNA Network Controls Legionella pneumophila Replication in Human Macrophages via LGALS8 and MX1
Cases of Legionella pneumophila pneumonia occur worldwide, with potentially fatal outcome. When causing human disease, Legionella injects a plethora of virulence factors to reprogram macrophages to circumvent immune defense and create a replication niche. By analyzing Legionella-induced changes in miRNA expression and genomewide chromatin...
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyReprogramming of Small Noncoding RNA Populations in Peripheral Blood Reveals Host Biomarkers for Latent and Active Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection
Tuberculosis is the infectious disease with the worldwide largest disease burden and there remains a great need for better diagnostic biomarkers to detect latent and active M. tuberculosis infection. RNA molecules hold great promise in this regard, as their levels of expression may differ considerably between infected and uninfected subjects. We have measured...
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Gammaherpesvirus MicroRNA Targets EWSR1 (Ewing Sarcoma Breakpoint Region 1) In Vivo To Promote Latent Infection of Germinal Center B Cells
Gammaherpesviruses, including the human pathogens Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), directly contribute to the genesis of multiple types of malignancies. In vivo, these viruses infect B cells and manipulate B cell biology to establish lifelong infection. To accomplish this, gammaherpesviruses employ an array of gene products, including miRNAs, short noncoding RNAs that bind to and...
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMicroRNAs of Epstein-Barr Virus Attenuate T-Cell-Mediated Immune Control In Vivo
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects the majority of the human population and usually persists asymptomatically within its host. Nevertheless, EBV is the causative agent for infectious mononucleosis (IM) and for lymphoproliferative disorders, including Burkitt and Hodgkin lymphomas. The immune system of the infected host is thought to prevent tumor formation in healthy virus carriers. EBV was one of the first viruses described to express...