The miRNAs of herpes simplex virus (HSV)

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a group of common human pathogens with two serotypes HSV-1 and HSV-2. The prevalence of HSV is worldwide. It primarily infects humans through epithelial cells, when it introduces a latent infection into the nervous system. During viral latency, only a region known as the latency-associated transcript (LAT) is expressed. The discovery of HSV miRNAs helps to draw a larger picture of the infection and pathogenesis of the virus. This review summarizes miRNAs found in HSV-1 and HSV-2 so far. The functional studies of miRNAs in HSV to date indicate that they play a stage-specific role coordinated with viral proteins to maintain the virus life cycle.