The interplay between lncRNAs, RNA-binding proteins and viral genome during SARS-CoV-2 infection reveals strong connections with regulatory events involved in RNA metabolism and immune response
Francisco J. Enguita, Ana Lúcia Leitão, J. Tyson McDonald, Victoria Zaksas, Saswati Das, Diego Galeano, Deanne Taylor, Eve Syrkin Wurtele, Amanda Saravia-Butler, Stephen B. Baylin, Robert Meller, D. Marshall Porterfield, Douglas C. Wallace, Jonathan C. Schisler, Christopher E. Mason, Afshin Beheshti
Abstract
Rationale: Viral infections are complex processes based on an intricate network of molecular interactions. The infectious agent hijacks components of the cellular machinery for its profit, circumventing the natural defense mechanisms triggered by the infected cell. The successful completion of the replicative viral cycle within a cell depends on the function of viral components versus the cellular defenses. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are important cellular modulators, either promoting or preventing the progression of viral infections. Among these ncRNAs, the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) family is especially relevant due to their intrinsic functional properties and ubiquitous biological roles. Specific lncRNAs have been recently characterized as modulators of the cellular response during infection of human host cells by single stranded RNA viruses. However, the role of host lncRNAs in the infection by human RNA coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 remains uncharacterized.