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A Review of miRNA Regulation in Japanese Encephalitis (JEV) Virus Infection
Maneesh Kumar1, Ganesh Chandra Sahoo1, Vidya Nand Rabi Das2
1Department of Virology, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, 800007, Bihar, India.
Abstract:
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne disease that causes neuronal damage and inflammation of microglia, and in severe cases, it can be fatal. JE infection can resist cellular immune responses and survive in host cells. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infects macrophages and peripheral blood lymphocytes. In addition to regulating biological signaling pathways, microRNAs in cells also influence virus-host interactions. Under certain circumstances, viruses can change microRNA production. These changes affect the replication and spread of the virus. Host miRNAs can contain viral pathogenicity by downregulating the antiviral immune response pathways. Simultaneous profiling of miRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) could help us detect pathogenic factors, and dual RNA detection is possible. This work highlights important miRNAs involved in human JE infection. In this study, we have shown the important miRNAs that play significant roles in JEV infection. We found that during JEV infection, miRNA-155, miRNA-29b, miRNA-15b, miRNA-146a, miRNA-125b-5p, miRNA-30la, miRNA-19b-3p, and miRNA-124, cause upregulation of human genes whereas miRNA-432, miRNA-370, miRNA- 33a-5p, and miRNA-466d-3p are responsible for downregulation of human genes respectively. Further, these miRNAs are also responsible for the inflammatory effects. Although several other miRNAs critical to the JEV life cycle are yet unknown, there is currently no evidence for the role of miRNAs in persistence.
Insights
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne viral disease. This study identifies key microRNAs (miRNAs) that regulate human gene expression and inflammation during JE virus infection, offering insights into disease mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a severe mosquito-borne viral disease causing neuronal damage and inflammation.
- Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection can evade host immune responses and affect immune cells like macrophages.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in regulating gene expression and influencing virus-host interactions, including viral replication and pathogenicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in human Japanese encephalitis (JE) infection.
- To understand how these miRNAs modulate host gene expression and inflammatory responses during JEV infection.
- To explore the potential of simultaneous miRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) profiling for detecting pathogenic factors in JE.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous profiling of microRNA (miRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) in human samples during Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection.
- Analysis of miRNA expression patterns and their correlation with host gene expression changes.
- Identification of miRNAs that upregulate or downregulate specific human genes and contribute to inflammatory effects.
Main Results:
- Several miRNAs, including miRNA-155, miRNA-29b, and miRNA-146a, were found to upregulate human genes during JEV infection.
- Other miRNAs, such as miRNA-432, miRNA-370, and miRNA-33a-5p, were identified as responsible for downregulating human genes.
- These identified miRNAs are implicated in the inflammatory effects associated with JE virus infection.
Conclusions:
- Specific miRNAs significantly influence host gene expression and inflammatory responses during Japanese encephalitis virus infection.
- The findings highlight the critical roles of identified miRNAs in the pathogenesis of JE.
- Further research is needed to uncover the roles of other miRNAs in the JEV life cycle and potential roles in viral persistence.
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