Human cytomegalovirus miR-US5-1 inhibits viral replication by targeting Geminin mRNA

• DOI: 10.1007/s12250-017-4064-x
• Publication Date: 2017-11-07T08:41:14Z
• Authors: Shujuan Jiang; Yujing Huang; Ying Qi; Rong He; Zhongyang Liu; Yanping Ma; Xin Guo; Yaozhong Shao; Zhengrong Sun; Qiang Ruan
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Blotting, Western; Cell Cycle; Geminin; Cytomegalovirus; Virus Replication; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Cell Line; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; HEK293 Cells; Cell Line, Tumor; Humans; RNA, Messenger; Cell Proliferation

Viruses commonly create favorable cellular conditions for their survival through multiple mechanisms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which function as post-transcriptional regulators, are utilized by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in its infection and pathogenesis. In the present study, the DNA replication inhibitor Geminin (GMNN) was identified to be a direct target of hcmv-miR-US5-1. Overexpression of hcmv-miR-US5-1 could block the accumulation of GMNN during HCMV infection, and the decrease of GMNN expression caused by hcmv-miR-US5-1 or GMNN specific siRNA reduced HCMV DNA copies in U373 cells. Meanwhile, ectopic expression of hcmv-miR-US5-1 and consequent lower expression of GMNN influenced host cell cycle and proliferation. These results imply that hcmv-miR-US5-1 may affect viral replication and host cellular environment by regulating expression kinetics of GMNN during HCMV infection.