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Review
. 2021 Mar;59(3):324-331.
doi: 10.1007/s12275-021-1021-z. Epub 2021 Feb 23.

Minor and major circRNAs in virus and host genomes

Zhihao Lou #  1 , Rui Zhou #  2 , Yinghua Su  1 , Chun Liu  1 , Wenting Ruan  3 , Che Ok Jeon  3 , Xiao Han  4 , Chun Lin  5 , Baolei Jia  6
Affiliations
Review

Minor and major circRNAs in virus and host genomes

Zhihao Lou et al. J Microbiol. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

As a special type of noncoding RNA, circular RNAs (circRNAs) are prevalent in many organisms. They can serve as sponges for microRNAs and protein scaffolds, or templates for protein translation, making them linked to cellular homeostasis and disease progression. In recent years, circRNAs have been found to be abnormally expressed during the processes of viral infection and pathogenesis, and can help a virus escape the immune response of a host. Thus, they are now considered to play important functions in the invasion and development of viruses. Moreover, the potential application of circRNAs as biomarkers of viral infection or candidates for therapeutic targeting deserves consideration. This review summarizes circRNAs in the transcriptome, including their classification, production, functions, and value as biomarkers. This review paper also describes research progress on circRNAs in viral infection (mainly hepatitis B virus, HIV, and some human herpes viruses) and aims to provide new ideas for antiviral therapies targeting circRNAs.

Keywords: HBV; HIV; circRNAs; ncRNAs; virus.

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