Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2025
MicroRNA-based Regulation of Picornavirus Tropism
Published on: February 6, 2017
Recent advances in discovery and functional analysis of the small proteins and microRNA expressed by polyomaviruses
A Sami Saribas1, Liselotte E Jensen2, Mahmut Safak1
1Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Inflammation Center for Neurovirology and Gene Editing, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
Abstract:
The polyomavirus family consists of a highly diverse group of small DNA viruses isolated from various species, including humans. Some family members have been used as model systems to understand the fundamentals of modern biology. After the discovery of the first two human polyomaviruses (JC virus and BK virus) during the early 1970s, their current number reached 14 today. Some family members cause considerably severe human diseases, including polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN), progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), trichodysplasia spinulosa (TS) and Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Polyomaviruses encode universal regulatory and structural proteins, but some members express additional virus-specific proteins and microRNA, which significantly contribute to the viral biology, cell transformation, and perhaps progression of the disease that they are associated with. In the current review, we summarized the recent advances in discovery, and functional and structural analysis of those viral proteins and microRNA.
Insights
Human polyomaviruses are diverse DNA viruses. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding their newly discovered proteins and microRNAs, crucial for viral biology and associated diseases like PML and MCC.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Polyomaviruses are a diverse group of small DNA viruses found across species, including humans.
- Initially, only two human polyomaviruses were known; 14 are identified today.
- Some polyomaviruses cause severe human diseases such as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent discoveries and analyses of polyomavirus proteins and microRNAs.
- To highlight the role of these viral components in viral biology and disease pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent advances in polyomavirus research.
- Summary of functional and structural analyses of viral proteins and microRNAs.
Main Results:
- Polyomaviruses encode universal regulatory and structural proteins.
- Some polyomaviruses express unique proteins and microRNAs that influence viral functions.
- These specific components are implicated in cell transformation and disease progression.
Conclusions:
- Recent research has expanded the understanding of polyomavirus diversity and complexity.
- Viral-specific proteins and microRNAs are key factors in polyomavirus-associated diseases.
- Further investigation into these components is warranted for therapeutic development.
Related Concept Videos
02:28Leaky Scanning
02:30siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs
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...
01:22MicroRNAs