Editor's Summary

13 December 2007

RNA copied

Some viral microRNAs are known to bind host cell mRNAs to block translation or induce their degradation. Now a microRNA from the herpes virus associated with Kaposi's sarcoma has been found to mimic the ubiquitous cellular microRNA, miR-155. The viral version of this RNA, which shows significant homology to the real thing, may have evolved to exploit an existing gene regulatory pathway in host B cells.

Letter: A viral microRNA functions as an orthologue of cellular miR-155

Eva Gottwein, Neelanjan Mukherjee, Christoph Sachse, Corina Frenzel, William H. Majoros, Jen-Tsan A. Chi, Ravi Braich, Muthiah Manoharan, Jürgen Soutschek, Uwe Ohler & Bryan R. Cullen

doi:10.1038/nature05992

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