High-throughput sequencing identifies HIV-1-replication- and latency-related miRNAs in CD4⁺ T cell lines

MicroRNAs are potent gene expression regulators involved in regulating various biological processes, including host-pathogen interactions. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to investigate cellular miRNA signatures related to HIV-1 replication and latent infection in CD4⁺ T cell lines, which included HIV-1-replicating H9/HTLV-IIIB, HIV-1-latently-infected CEM-Bru cells, and their parental uninfected H9 and CEM-SS cells. Relatively few miRNAs were found to be modulated by HIV-1 replication or latent infection, while the cell-lineage-specific miRNA difference was more pronounced, irrespective of HIV-1 infection. In silico analysis showed that some of our HIV-1 infection-regulated miRNA profiles echoed previous studies, while others were novel. In addition, some of the miRNAs that were differentially expressed between the productively and latently infected cells seemed to participate in shaping the differential infection state. Thus, the newly identified miRNA profiles related to HIV-1 replication and latency provide information about the interplay between HIV-1 and its host.