Non-Coding RNAs: Strategy for Viruses’ Offensive

The awareness of viruses as a constant threat for human public health is a matter of fact and in this resides the need of understanding the mechanisms they use to trick the host. Viral non-coding RNAs are gaining much value and interest for the potential impact played in host gene regulation, acting...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alessia Gallo, Matteo Bulati, Vitale Miceli, Nicola Amodio, Pier Giulio Conaldi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-09-01
Series:Non-Coding RNA
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-553X/6/3/38
Description
Summary:The awareness of viruses as a constant threat for human public health is a matter of fact and in this resides the need of understanding the mechanisms they use to trick the host. Viral non-coding RNAs are gaining much value and interest for the potential impact played in host gene regulation, acting as fine tuners of host cellular defense mechanisms. The implicit importance of v-ncRNAs resides first in the limited genomes size of viruses carrying only strictly necessary genomic sequences. The other crucial and appealing characteristic of v-ncRNAs is the non-immunogenicity, making them the perfect expedient to be used in the never-ending virus-host war. In this review, we wish to examine how DNA and RNA viruses have evolved a common strategy and which the crucial host pathways are targeted through v-ncRNAs in order to grant and facilitate their life cycle.
ISSN:2311-553X