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

All metazoan eukaryotes express microRNAs (miRNAs), roughly 22-nucleotide regulatory RNAs that can repress the expression of messenger RNAs bearing complementary sequences. Several DNA viruses also express miRNAs in infected cells, suggesting a role in viral replication and pathogenesis. Although specific viral miRNAs have been shown to autoregulate viral mRNAs or downregulate cellular mRNAs, the function of most viral miRNAs remains unknown. Here we report that the miR-K12-11 miRNA encoded by Kaposi's-sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) shows significant homology to cellular miR-155, including the entire miRNA 'seed' region. Using a range of assays, we show that expression of physiological levels of miR-K12-11 or miR-155 results in the downregulation of an extensive set of common mRNA targets, including genes with known roles in cell growth regulation. Our findings indicate that viral miR-K12-11 functions as an orthologue of cellular miR-155 and probably evolved to exploit a pre-existing gene regulatory pathway in B cells. Moreover, the known aetiological role of miR-155 in B-cell transformation suggests that miR-K12-11 may contribute to the induction of KSHV-positive B-cell tumours in infected patients.     

基于Gene Ontology的MicroRNA功能聚类

MicroRNA(miRNA)的许多生物过程是通过影响靶基因的转录后表达.miRNA与靶标之间的互补程度和性质决定其基因调控作用.结构相似性可以作为一个强有力的方法推断分子功能的相似性.然而,结构比对的方法来度量miRNA之间的相似性通常不太准确,而且时间开销大.对这些表达差异的miRNA的靶标基因进行聚类,可以很好地理解miRNA的功能.提出一个新的GO(gene Ontology)语义相似性的方法来区分miRNA功能组.该方法采用项信息和边的权重来度量GO项的权重.此外,2个GO图的共同项和非共同项还被用来度量这2个图之间的相似度.对于2个miRNA,它们之间的相似性可以用它们靶标基因标注的GO项的相似性来计算.实验结果表明此方法不仅可以将相似功能的miRNA聚在一起,而且可以预测未知miRNA的功能.     

Discoveries and functions of virus-encoded MicroRNAs

Virus-encoded microRNAs （miRNAs） are a new kind of miRNAs that regulate the expression of target gene in host cells or viruses through inducing cleavage of mRNA, repressing translation, etc., and change the processes of host cells or replicate viruses to escape or resist immune surveillance of host and protect viruses themselves. It has become a hot topic to discover viral genes encoding miRNAs and their target genes, and to identify their functions. This review provides background information on the history of virally encoded miRNAs including their genomic distribution, functions and mechanisms. In addition, we discuss the similarities and differences between virus- and host-encoded miRNAs, the future directions of researches in viral miRNAs and their applications in diseases control and therapy.     

RACK1依赖的miRNA途径参与调节植物叶绿素的生物合成

为深入探索活化C激酶受体1(receptor of activated C kinase 1,RACK 1)在调节植物microRNA(miRNA)的生物发生,以及其靶基因中的关键作用,对在美国国家生物技术信息中心(National Center for Biotechnology Information,NCBI)网站上共享的基因表达综合数据库(Gene Expression Omnibus,GEO)中有关rack1突变体的小RNA序列数据重新进行了系统分析和挖掘,找到了19个新miRNA.通过解析差异miRNA表达,鉴定到了特异调控叶绿素合成相关基因HEMA和HEMC表达的miRNA,为今后深入系统地研究RACK1在调节叶绿体发育和光合作用机理提供了关键的理论依据,也为利用公共数据库挖掘潜在的数据信息提供了基本的研究设想和思路.     

Signal sequence mutations disrupt feedback between secretion of an exported protein and its synthesis in E. coli

Recent studies in a eukaryotic system indicate that a block in secretion can lead to a block in the translation of secretory proteins. This feedback on protein synthesis is thought to be a result of an interaction of the signal recognition particle with the signal sequences of nascent proteins. Genetic studies in the prokaryote Escherichia coli suggest that a complex secretion machinery and a similar feedback mechanism exist. In addition, mutations affecting two genes, secA and secC, thought to encode components of the bacterial secretion machinery, selectively interfere with the synthesis of exported proteins. This selective interference with translation may be a result of recognition by the secretion machinery of signal sequences. If so, alteration of the signal sequence of a particular protein by mutation should eliminate the block in synthesis for that protein. We show here that signal sequence mutants for an exported protein, maltose binding protein, prevent the block in synthesis of this protein in a secA mutant.     

植物中miR160/miR167/miR390家族及其靶基因研究进展

microRNA(miRNA)是真核生物中广泛存在的一类长21～23个核苷酸的非编码RNA分子,通过与靶基因mRNA的特异结合调节基因转录后表达,在调控细胞周期、生物体发育时序等方面起重要作用。miR160、miR167和miR390 3个miRNAs家族均为靶向ARF(Auxin Response Factor)基因家族,预示着它们在行使调控功能的过程中既有相似性又有特异性。笔者详细阐述了miR160/miR167/miR390在植物发育过程中的调控作用及与其靶基因之间的相互调控关系,发现miR160/miR167/miR390均在植物生长发育过程中发挥重要的作用,但miR160则侧重于调控胚胎和根的发育,miR167侧重于调控植物花和果实的发育,而miR390则对植物横向器官的发育具有调控作用,并且,miR160/miR167/miR390与其靶基因之间存在反馈调节作用。