Influenza A virus induced cellular and viral microRNAs in viral replication and host defence

Basic data for this project

Description

Infections with influenza viruses still pose a major health threat worldwide. Like all viral pathogens, influenza viruses deregulate the host cell metabolism to enhance viral replication and avoid or circumvent the innate immune response. In this study we will draw attention on the differential expression of cellular miRNAs and possible viral miRNAs (vmiRNA) during influenza infection as a novel mechanism to exploit the host cell response. These short RNAs constitute a large family of small (19-25 nt) non-protein-coding RNAs that function to guide molecules in diverse gene silencing pathways, including development timing control, cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Recent reports suggested that endogenous miRNAs and vmiRNA can have an impact during infection with several DNA viruses. Our own preliminary data strongly support that these small RNAs may also play a role in influenza virus infections. The precise functions of those RNAs are currently unknown. However based on their potential target genes and their regulation of transcription, it was proposed that some of vmi/miRNA have the potential to be used by viruses to self-moderate viral propagation. The joint project takes advantage of the complementary expertises in influenza virology and RNA biology in the two neighbouring institutions under the roof of the Centre of Molecular Biology of Inflammation (ZMBE) in Münster.