Pluto Bioinformatics

GSE124687: Identification of murine gammaherpesvirus 68 miRNA-mRNA hybrids reveals miRNA target conservation among gammaherpesviruses including host translation and protein modification machinery

Bulk RNA sequencing

Gammaherpesviruses, including the human pathogens Epstein-Barr virus and Kaposis sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, establish lifelong latent infection in B cells and are associated with a variety of tumors. In addition to protein coding genes, these viruses encode numerous microRNAs (miRNAs) within their genomes. While putative host targets of EBV and KSHV miRNAs have been previously identified, the specific functions of these miRNAs during in vivo infection are largely unknown. Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 is a natural pathogen of rodents that is genetically related to both EBV and KSHV, and thus serves as an excellent model for the study of EBV and KSHV elements such as miRNAs in the context of infection and disease. However, MHV68 the specific targets of miRNAs remain unknown. Using a technique known as quick CLASH (crosslinking, ligation, and sequencing of hybrids), we have now identified specific, Ago-associated mRNA targets of MHV68 miRNAs during lytic infection, latent infection and reactivation from latency. SOURCE: Scott Tibbetts (stibbe@ufl.edu) - University of Florida