Review Article

Silencing Viral MicroRNA as a Novel Antiviral Therapy?

Table 1

MicroRNAs encoded by human viruses and their targets. See text for details.

VirusmiRNATarget/functionReference

Human polyomaviruses
SV40miR-S1Downregulation early expression; Immunomodulating[45]
BKVmiR-B1Downregulation early expression[46]
JCVmiR-J1Downregulation early expression[46]
MCPyVmiR-M1Downregulation early expression[47]

Human papillomavirusnot predicted[65]
not detected[66]

Human adenovirusunnamed[6163]

Human parvovirusnot predicted[65]

HSV-1 (HHV1)miR-LAT (within exon 1)Prevents apoptosis by targeting translation of the genes encoding TGF-β1 and SMAD3[67](retracted),[48, 68, 69],[70]
miR-LAT- ICP34.5
miR-H1Repression of the expression of the viral protein ICP0, which promotes viral replication
miR-H2Downregulation of ICP34.5, a key viral neurovirulence factor
miR-H3Downregulation of ICP34.5, a key viral neurovirulence factor
miR-H4
miR-H5Downregulation of ICP4, a viral transcriptional activator
miR-H6Reduced expression of ICP34.5, a key viral neurovirulence factor

HSV-2 (HHV2)miR-I
miR-II
miR-III

VZV (HHV3)not predicted[65, 71]

HCMV (HHV5)miR-UL23Immunomodulating[12, 49, 65, 7274]
miR-UL36-1
miR-UL54-1
miR-UL70-1
miR-UL22A-1
miR-UL112-1Downregulates the expression of CMV genes involved in its own replication process, for example, transactivators IE72 and IE86; UL120/121; UL114MHC class I-related chain B (MICB), a cellular ligand for the activating receptor NKG2D; downregulation of IE-1
miR-UL148D-1
miR-US4-1
miR-US5-1
miR-US5-2
miR-US24
miR-US25-1
miR-US25-2
miR-US33-1
RNAβ2.7Bnds components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I and thus preventing apoptosis

EBV (HHV4)miR-BART1-1 to -3Inhibition LMP1 expression[24], [51, 7579]
Inhibit EBV DNA polymerase BALF5
miR-BART2Inhibition LMP1 expression
miR-BART3
miR-BART4Antiapoptotic by downregulation of PUMA
miR-BART5
miR-BART6Inhibition LMP1 expression
miR-BART7
miR-BART8
miR-BART9
miR-BART10
miR-BART11
miR-BART12
miR-BART13
miR-BART14Inhibition LMP1 expression
miR-BART15Inhibition LMP1 expression
miR-BART16
miR-BART17
miR-BART18
miR-BART19
miR-BART20Downregulation chemokine CXCL-11
miR-BHFR-1
miR-BHFR-2
miR-BHFR-3

KSHV (HHV-8)miR-K12-1Downregulation of thrombospondin 1 and BACH[51, 66, 75, 8082]
miR-K12-2Downregulation of thrombospondin 1
miR-K12-3
miR-K12-4
miR-K12-5Downregulation of thrombospondin 1 and BACH
miR-K12-6
miR-K12-7
miR-K12-8
miR-K12-9
miR-K12-10a
miR-K12-10bDownregulation of thrombospondin 1 and BACH-1;
miR-K12-11Identical to miR-155
miR-K12-12   
Poxvirus vaccinia virus3 predicted[65]

Poxvirus variola virus1 predicted[65]

Hepatitis B virus[54]

Hepatitis C virus

Human immunodeficiency virusmiR-H1
Type 1 (HIV-1)miR-TARHDAC-1-mediated repression of viral gene expression[83]
miR-TAR-5p[84]
miR-TAR-p
HAAmiRNADownregulation IL-15, IL-2 receptor γ chain, IRAK1, and FMRP[56]
VmiRNA#1-5Proteins involved in, for example, signal transduction, protein synthesis, and degradation, DNA methylation [85]
miR-N367HIV promoter interference[86]

HIV-2miR-TAR2-5p[87]
miR-TAR2-3p

HTLV-Inot detected[88]

Paramyxoviridae (measles virus)1 predicted[65]