MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of the Virus Cycle and Pathogenesis in the SARS-CoV-2 Disease
In the last few years, microRNA-mediated regulation has been shown to be important in viral infections. In fact, viral microRNAs can alter cell physiology and act on the immune system; moreover, cellular microRNAs can regulate the virus cycle, influencing positively or negatively viral replication....
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/24/13192 |
| _version_ | 1797503947704893440 |
|---|---|
| author | Rosalia Battaglia Ruben Alonzo Chiara Pennisi Angela Caponnetto Carmen Ferrara Michele Stella Cristina Barbagallo Davide Barbagallo Marco Ragusa Michele Purrello Cinzia Di Pietro |
| author_facet | Rosalia Battaglia Ruben Alonzo Chiara Pennisi Angela Caponnetto Carmen Ferrara Michele Stella Cristina Barbagallo Davide Barbagallo Marco Ragusa Michele Purrello Cinzia Di Pietro |
| author_sort | Rosalia Battaglia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the last few years, microRNA-mediated regulation has been shown to be important in viral infections. In fact, viral microRNAs can alter cell physiology and act on the immune system; moreover, cellular microRNAs can regulate the virus cycle, influencing positively or negatively viral replication. Accordingly, microRNAs can represent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of infectious processes and a promising approach for designing targeted therapies. In the past 18 months, the COVID-19 infection from SARS-CoV-2 has engaged many researchers in the search for diagnostic and prognostic markers and the development of therapies. Although some research suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 genome can produce microRNAs and that host microRNAs may be involved in the cellular response to the virus, to date, not enough evidence has been provided. In this paper, using a focused bioinformatic approach exploring the SARS-CoV-2 genome, we propose that SARS-CoV-2 is able to produce microRNAs sharing a strong sequence homology with the human ones and also that human microRNAs may target viral RNA regulating the virus life cycle inside human cells. Interestingly, all viral miRNA sequences and some human miRNA target sites are conserved in more recent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). Even if experimental evidence will be needed, in silico analysis represents a valuable source of information useful to understand the sophisticated molecular mechanisms of disease and to sustain biomedical applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:57:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-95c46f195f0e48a0a49922a1f0d06617 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:57:39Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-95c46f195f0e48a0a49922a1f0d066172023-11-23T08:42:35ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672021-12-0122241319210.3390/ijms222413192MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of the Virus Cycle and Pathogenesis in the SARS-CoV-2 DiseaseRosalia Battaglia0Ruben Alonzo1Chiara Pennisi2Angela Caponnetto3Carmen Ferrara4Michele Stella5Cristina Barbagallo6Davide Barbagallo7Marco Ragusa8Michele Purrello9Cinzia Di Pietro10Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, ItalyIn the last few years, microRNA-mediated regulation has been shown to be important in viral infections. In fact, viral microRNAs can alter cell physiology and act on the immune system; moreover, cellular microRNAs can regulate the virus cycle, influencing positively or negatively viral replication. Accordingly, microRNAs can represent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of infectious processes and a promising approach for designing targeted therapies. In the past 18 months, the COVID-19 infection from SARS-CoV-2 has engaged many researchers in the search for diagnostic and prognostic markers and the development of therapies. Although some research suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 genome can produce microRNAs and that host microRNAs may be involved in the cellular response to the virus, to date, not enough evidence has been provided. In this paper, using a focused bioinformatic approach exploring the SARS-CoV-2 genome, we propose that SARS-CoV-2 is able to produce microRNAs sharing a strong sequence homology with the human ones and also that human microRNAs may target viral RNA regulating the virus life cycle inside human cells. Interestingly, all viral miRNA sequences and some human miRNA target sites are conserved in more recent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). Even if experimental evidence will be needed, in silico analysis represents a valuable source of information useful to understand the sophisticated molecular mechanisms of disease and to sustain biomedical applications.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/24/13192SARS-CoV-2COVID-19variants of concern (VOCs)human microRNAsviral microRNAs |
| spellingShingle | Rosalia Battaglia Ruben Alonzo Chiara Pennisi Angela Caponnetto Carmen Ferrara Michele Stella Cristina Barbagallo Davide Barbagallo Marco Ragusa Michele Purrello Cinzia Di Pietro MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of the Virus Cycle and Pathogenesis in the SARS-CoV-2 Disease International Journal of Molecular Sciences SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 variants of concern (VOCs) human microRNAs viral microRNAs |
| title | MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of the Virus Cycle and Pathogenesis in the SARS-CoV-2 Disease |
| title_full | MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of the Virus Cycle and Pathogenesis in the SARS-CoV-2 Disease |
| title_fullStr | MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of the Virus Cycle and Pathogenesis in the SARS-CoV-2 Disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of the Virus Cycle and Pathogenesis in the SARS-CoV-2 Disease |
| title_short | MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of the Virus Cycle and Pathogenesis in the SARS-CoV-2 Disease |
| title_sort | microrna mediated regulation of the virus cycle and pathogenesis in the sars cov 2 disease |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 variants of concern (VOCs) human microRNAs viral microRNAs |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/24/13192 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rosaliabattaglia micrornamediatedregulationoftheviruscycleandpathogenesisinthesarscov2disease AT rubenalonzo micrornamediatedregulationoftheviruscycleandpathogenesisinthesarscov2disease AT chiarapennisi micrornamediatedregulationoftheviruscycleandpathogenesisinthesarscov2disease AT angelacaponnetto micrornamediatedregulationoftheviruscycleandpathogenesisinthesarscov2disease AT carmenferrara micrornamediatedregulationoftheviruscycleandpathogenesisinthesarscov2disease AT michelestella micrornamediatedregulationoftheviruscycleandpathogenesisinthesarscov2disease AT cristinabarbagallo micrornamediatedregulationoftheviruscycleandpathogenesisinthesarscov2disease AT davidebarbagallo micrornamediatedregulationoftheviruscycleandpathogenesisinthesarscov2disease AT marcoragusa micrornamediatedregulationoftheviruscycleandpathogenesisinthesarscov2disease AT michelepurrello micrornamediatedregulationoftheviruscycleandpathogenesisinthesarscov2disease AT cinziadipietro micrornamediatedregulationoftheviruscycleandpathogenesisinthesarscov2disease |