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Antiviral effects of human microRNAs and conservation of their target sites
Author(s) -
Russo Aniello,
Potenza Nicoletta
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2011.07.015
Subject(s) - microrna , biology , computational biology , gene expression , gene , regulation of gene expression , genetics
MicroRNAs are small non‐coding RNAs that modulate gene expression at post‐transcriptional level, playing a crucial role in cell differentiation and development. Recently, some reports have shown that a limited number of mammalian microRNAs also display antiviral effects. This article summarizes the data in the field paying a special attention to the conservation of the microRNA target sequences in the viral populations. This issue is relevant both for the evaluation of the biological significance of the antiviral effects and for the development of microRNA‐based strategies for antiviral intervention.