Here, we found that lncRNA-155KO mice lacking most of the lncRNA-155 sequences along with pre-miRNA-155, were more susceptible to influenza virus or pseudorabies virus infection than miRNA-155KO mice lacking only 19 bp of the miRNA-155 core sequence without affecting the expression of lncRNA-155, as evidenced by faster body weight loss, poorer survival, and higher viral load, suggesting an additional role of lncRNA-155 in regulating viral pathogenesis besides via processing miRNA-155. Congruously, miRNA-155-deleted lncRNA-155 significantly attenuated the viral infection.

CircRNAs are an important class of noncoding RNAs characterized by a covalently closed circular structure. CircRNAs have been proven to impact numerous cellular processes, where they conduct specialized biological activities.