Human RNA silences viral DNA

"MiRNAs were thought to be involved in the regulation of endogenous genes, whereas exogenous RNAs, in particular viral RNAs, were thought to be regulated by siRNA [small interfering RNA]," lead author Charles-Henri Lecellier at the Institute of Plant Molecular Biology in Strasbourg, France, told The Scientist.Prior studies have revealed that RNA interference can destroy viruses in plants and insects, but a similar role in vertebrates has not been demonstrated. Since RNA silencing can suppress endogenous retroviruses from mobilizing in plants, yeast, worms, and flies, Lecellier and colleagues reasoned that retrotransposition of mammalian exogenous viruses might also prove vulnerable. They chose as their model system the primate foamy virus type 1, a retrovirus akin to HIV.PFV-1 accumulation in cultured human embryonic kidney cells was strongly enhanced by the expression of the P19 silencing suppressor, suggesting that a siRNA or miRNA pathway limited PFV-1 replication in human cells, because P19 specifically binds to and inactivates both.To identify the target and means of human RNA silencing, the investigators fused viral sequences spanning the PFV-1 genome to a green fluorescent protein (GFP) - tagged reporter gene into constructs cotransfected with PFV-1 into baby hamster kidney cells. Northern and Western analysis revealed GFP levels from construct F11 were disproportionately reduced compared to F11 mRNA accumulation, which reminded researchers of miRNA translational inhibition. The DIANA-microT algorithm revealed a high probability match between the F11 sequence and the human miR-32.Further studies demonstrated miR-32 silencing was suppressed in P19-expressing cells. Also, anti-miR-32 locked nucleic acid oligonucleotide almost doubled progeny virus production, unlike anti-miR-23, suggesting miR-32 has a direct, sequence-specific antiviral effect.In plants and insects, all viruses targeted by RNA interference encode proteins that suppress RNA silencing. Further s