This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hussain, M.
Right arrow Articles by Asgari, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hussain, M.
Right arrow Articles by Asgari, S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Virology, September 2008, p. 9164-9170, Vol. 82, No. 18
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.01109-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

An Insect Virus-Encoded MicroRNA Regulates Viral Replication {triangledown}

Mazhar Hussain,1 Ryan J. Taft,2 and Sassan Asgari1*

School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia,1 Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia2

Received 26 May 2008/ Accepted 30 June 2008

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small (~22 nucleotides) noncoding RNAs which play an essential role in gene regulation and affect a wide range of processes, including development, differentiation, and oncogenesis. Here we report the identification of the first miRNA from an insect virus, derived from the major capsid protein (MCP) gene in Heliothis virescens ascovirus (HvAV) (HvAV-miR-1). Although MCP was abundantly expressed at all time points 24 h after infection, HvAV-miR-1 expression was strictly regulated and specifically detected from 96 h postinfection. HvAV-miR-1 expression coincided with a marked reduction of the expression of HvAV DNA polymerase I, which is a predicted target. Ectopic expression of full-length and truncated versions of MCP retaining the miRNA sequence significantly reduced DNA polymerase I transcript levels and inhibited viral replication. Our results indicate that HvAV-miR-1 directs transcriptional degradation of DNA polymerase I and regulates HvAV replication. These findings are congruent with recent reports that miR-BART-2 regulates Epstein-Barr virus DNA polymerase expression and suggest that virus-encoded miRNA regulation of virus replication may be a general phenomenon.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia. Phone: (617) 3365 2043l. Fax: (617) 3365 1655. E-mail: s.asgari{at}uq.edu.au

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 9 July 2008.

Journal of Virology, September 2008, p. 9164-9170, Vol. 82, No. 18
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.01109-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Umbach, J. L., Cullen, B. R. (2009). The role of RNAi and microRNAs in animal virus replication and antiviral immunity. Genes Dev. 23: 1151-1164 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Garcia-Maruniak, A., Abd-Alla, A. M. M., Salem, T. Z., Parker, A. G., Lietze, V.-U., van Oers, M. M., Maruniak, J. E., Kim, W., Burand, J. P., Cousserans, F., Robinson, A. S., Vlak, J. M., Bergoin, M., Boucias, D. G. (2009). Two viruses that cause salivary gland hypertrophy in Glossina pallidipes and Musca domestica are related and form a distinct phylogenetic clade. J. Gen. Virol. 90: 334-346 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»