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Immune evasion

Evasive manoeuvres

Nature Reviews Immunology volume 7, pages 660–661 (2007)Cite this article

miRNAs comprise an extensive class of evolutionarily conserved noncoding RNAs of approximately 22 nucleotides in length that regulate post-transcriptional gene expression. In most cases, miRNAs reduce the abundance or translational efficiency of their target mRNAs, although the mechanism by which this is achieved is not fully understood. Recent reports of virally encoded miRNAs in herpesviruses, however, suggest that miRNAs may have other functions.

In this study, the authors considered the possible role of virally encoded miRNAs in immune evasion by HCMV. HCMV encodes many immunomodulatory proteins that manipulate the immune response, as well as at least 11 miRNAs. Using a newly developed algorithm for predicting miRNA targets, Stern-Ginossar et al. searched for potential binding sites of the 11 known HCMV miRNAs. MICB was the top predicted target of one particular miRNA, hcmv-miR-UL112. MICB (as well as MICA) is a ligand for the NK-cell receptor NKG2D (NK group 2, member D), and its expression is induced by cellular stress caused by, for example, viral infection. The expression of MICB on the cell surface marks that cell for killing by NK cells. Cell-surface expression of MICB is specifically downregulated by the UL16 protein of HCMV.

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References

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Stern-Ginossar, N. et al. Host immune system gene targeting by a viral miRNA. Science 317, 376–381 (2007)

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FURTHER READING

  1. Cullen, B. R. et al. Outwitted by viral RNAs. Science 317, 329–330 (2007)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Reeves, M. B. et al. Complex I binding by a virally encoded RNA regulates mitochondria-induced cell death. Science 316, 1345–1348 (2007)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Eagle, R. A. & Trowsdale, J. Promiscuity and the single receptor: NKG2D. Nature Rev. Immunol. 7, 737–744 (2007)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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Authors
  1. Sharon Ahmad
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Ahmad, S. Evasive manoeuvres. Nat Rev Immunol 7, 660–661 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri2157

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nri2157

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