Functional Roles of Non-coding RNAs in the Interaction Between Host and Influenza A Virus

Abstract

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are extensively expressed in various cells and tissues, and studies have shown that ncRNAs play significant roles in cell regulation. However, in the past few decades, the knowledge of ncRNAs has been increased dramatically due to their transcriptional ability and multiple regulatory functions. Typically, regulatory ncRNAs include long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), miRNAs, piRNAs, Y RNAs, vault RNAs, and circular RNAs (circRNAs), etc. Previous studies have revealed that various ncRNAs are involved in the host responses to virus infection and play critical roles in the regulation of host-virus interactions. In this review, we discuss the conceptual framework and biological regulations of ncRNAs to elucidate their functions in response to viral infection, especially influenza A virus (IAV) infection. In addition, we summarize the ncRNAs that are associated with innate immunity and involvement of interferons and their stimulated genes (ISGs) during IAV infection.

Keywords: infection; influenza A virus; innate immunity; interferons; non-coding RNAs.

FIGURE 1

Host lncRNAs regulate various steps of antiviral immune responses against IAV infection. Upon IAV invading host cells, the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) signaling pathway is initiated to activate transcription factors, including NF-κB and IRF3/7. Then, the transcription factors bind to the corresponding active sites to induce the transcription of IFNs, which activates auto- or paracrine pathways to initiate ISGs to defend viral infection through JAK-STAT pathways. Many lncRNAs are involved in the cascades to regulate different steps of the signaling pathway to inhibit or promote IAV replication.