Article epigenetic silencing of microrna-126 promotes cell growth in marek’s disease

During latency, herpesvirus infection results in the establishment of a dormant state in which a restricted set of viral genes are expressed. Together with alterations of the viral genome, several host genes undergo epigenetic silencing during latency. These epigenetic dysregulations of cellular genes might be involved in the development of cancer. In this context, Gallid alphaherpesvirus 2 (GaHV-2), causing Marek’s disease (MD) in susceptible chicken, was shown to impair the expression of several cellular microRNAs (miRNAs). We decided to focus on gga-miR-126, a host miRNA considered a tumor suppressor through signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation. Our objectives were to analyze the cause and the impact of miR-126 silencing during GaHV-2 infection. This cellular miRNA was found to be repressed at crucial steps of the viral infection. In order to determine whether miR-126 low expression level was associated with specific epigenetic signatures, DNA methylation patterns were established in the miR-126 gene promoter. Repression was associated with hypermethylation at a CpG island located in the miR-126 host gene epidermal growth factor like-7 (EGFL-7). A strategy was developed to conditionally overexpress miR-126 and control miRNAs in transformed CD4+ T cells propagated from Marek’s disease (MD) lymphoma. This functional assay showed that miR-126 restoration specifically diminishes cell proliferation. We identified CT10 regulator of kinase (CRK), an adaptor protein dysregulated in several human malignancies, as a candidate target gene. Indeed, CRK protein levels were markedly reduced by the miR-126 restoration

Transcriptionnal and post-transcriptionnal regulation of IRL/TRL regions of Marek's disease virus

Le Gallid Herpesvirus 2 (GaHV-2) est un herpesvirus responsable de lymphomes T chez le poulet. Son génome code pour 25 miARN matures regroupés en 2 clusters localisés au sein des régions répétées TRL/IRL etIRS/TRS. Mon travail a tout d’abord consisté en l’étude de la fonctionnalité des deux brins de mdv1-pré-miRM4sur deux cibles virales UL-28 et UL32. Le brin mdv1-miR-M4-5P ayant été identifié comme orthologue dumiARN cellulaire miR-155, leurs impacts ont été comparés sur six cibles cellulaires et la cible virale UL-28.Les différents miARN de GaHV-2 présentant des taux d’expression variables, nous avons identifié, dans larégion TRL/IRL, des ARNm responsables de leur transcription à partir d’exon ou d’intron. De plus, nous avonsidentifié un promoteur plutôt spécifique de la latence et responsable de la transcription de l’ensemble desmiARN de l’IRL/TRL, de l’oncogène meq et du transcrit Meq/vIL-8.Gallid Herpesvirus 2 (GaHV-2) is a herpesvirus inducing T-lymphoma in chickens. Its genome encodes 25mature miRNAs splitted in two clusters localized in IRL/TRL and IRS/TRS repeated regions. In this work, wefirst analyzed the functionality of the two strands of mdv1-pre-miR-M4 on two viral targets named UL-28 andUL-32. As one strand of this miRNA was identified as an ortholog of cellular miRNA-155, their effects wereassessed on six cellular targets and on the UL-28 viral target. As a differential expression of miRNAs wasobserved during GaHV-2 infection, we found numerous IRL/TRL transcripts responsible for the intronic orexonic transcription of viral miRNAs. Moreover, we identified a latency promoter controlling at the same timetranscription of all IRL/TRL miRNAs, the oncogenic meq gene and the Meq/v-IL8 transcript

The circular life of viruses

Les ARN circulaires (ARNcirc) font partie intégrante de la relation hôte-pathogène. Après la description de la dérégulation d’ARNcirc cellulaires lors d’infections virales, de nombreux ARNcirc d’origine virale ont été identifiés et caractérisés. Des rôles régulateurs, aussi bien du cycle cellulaire que du cycle viral, leur ont été attribués. Ils sont associés à l’oncogenèse viro-induite, à la régulation du système immunitaire et à la différenciation cellulaire. Ces boucles d’ARN, aussi archaïques que les premiers virus, réservent bien des surprises aux chercheurs tant au niveau de leurs fonctions que de leurs biogenèses !Circular RNAs (circRNA), as ancient as the first viruses, take an important part in the host-pathogen relationship. After the first description of dysregulated cellular circRNAs upon viral infection, numerous circRNAs of viral origin were identified and characterized. They are impacting both viral and cellular cycles and are associated with virus-induced oncogenesis, immune system regulation and cell differentiation. While the naïve reader might get swamped by discovering this new field of RNA biology, it seems that these RNA rings are actually full of surprises and wonders at both a functional and a biogenesis level