Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 8, 2025

MicroRNA-based Regulation of Picornavirus Tropism
09:05

MicroRNA-based Regulation of Picornavirus Tropism

Published on: February 6, 2017

7.7K

Biology of Polyomavirus miRNA

Wei Zou1, Michael J Imperiale1

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|April 23, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Polyomavirus microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate viral replication and disease. This review details their expression, function in pathogenesis, and potential as disease markers.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Polyomaviruses are DNA viruses with broad host ranges.
  • Human polyomaviruses often cause asymptomatic infections but can reactivate and cause severe disease.
  • Many polyomaviruses encode microRNAs (miRNAs) that influence viral replication and pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on polyomavirus miRNAs in viral infection.
  • To detail the regulation of polyomavirus miRNA expression.
  • To explore the role of these miRNAs in viral pathogenesis by controlling host and viral gene expression.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on polyomavirus miRNAs.
  • Analysis of miRNA regulation mechanisms.
  • Examination of miRNA targets in viral and host genomes.

Main Results:

  • Polyomavirus miRNAs are crucial regulators of viral replication and pathogenesis.
  • These miRNAs target both viral early genes and host cellular genes.
  • Understanding miRNA expression and function is key to polyomavirus infection.

Conclusions:

  • Polyomavirus miRNAs play a significant role in disease progression.
  • They offer potential as biomarkers for disease monitoring and reactivation.
  • Further research into polyomavirus miRNA mechanisms is warranted.
Keywords:
biomarkermiRNApersistent infectionpolyomavirusvirus replication

More Related Videos

mirMachine: A One-Stop Shop for Plant miRNA Annotation06:16

mirMachine: A One-Stop Shop for Plant miRNA Annotation

Published on: May 1, 2021

2.7K
Potato Virus X-Based microRNA Silencing VbMS In Potato.11:51

Potato Virus X-Based microRNA Silencing VbMS In Potato.

Published on: May 11, 2020

3.4K

Related Concept Videos

MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns (non-coding regions of a gene) or intergenic regions (stretches of DNA present between genes). Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself, forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA...
3.3K
MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns—non-coding regions of a gene—or intergenic regions—stretches of DNA present between genes. Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After...
22.8K
Viruses with RNA Genomes01:29

Viruses with RNA Genomes

RNA viruses are categorized into positive-strand, negative-strand, or double-stranded groups based on their genomic structure and replication mechanisms. This classification dictates how they exploit host cellular machinery for protein synthesis and replication. Some RNA viruses also utilize reverse transcription as part of their life cycle, further diversifying their replication strategies.Positive-Strand RNA VirusesPositive-strand RNA viruses have genomes that function directly as messenger...
328
piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs02:57

piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs

PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...
7.2K
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs02:30

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs

Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the...
17.5K
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
27.0K