The host tRNA epitranscriptome: A new player in RNA virus infections

Abstract

Viruses completely depend on the host translation machineries to express the viral proteins. Recent data reveal an unprecedented interaction of positive strand RNA ((+)RNA) viruses with the host tRNA epitranscriptome to favor viral protein expression via a specific reprogramming of codon optimality that ultimately favors decoding of the viral codons. We propose that this feature is shared by multiple RNA viruses and that the involved tRNA modifying enzymes represent promising novel targets for the development of broad-spectrum antivirals.

Small non-coding RNAs encoded by RNA viruses: old controversies and new lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

“…frontiersin.org the importance of different types of ncRNA molecules in virtually all stages of the viral infection process, namely, in the regulation of viral replication, viral persistence, host immune evasion, and cellular transformation (He et al, 2008;Tycowski et al, 2015;Stamm and Lodmell, 2019;Talló-Parra et al, 2022). Several virus families, covering most of the Baltimore classification scheme, have been shown to encode regulatory ncRNAs, in particular lncRNAs and miRNAs.…”

“…Given the wide range of regulatory capacities displayed by these molecules, it is not surprising that viruses evolved to encode and utilize their own ncRNA elements ( Withers et al, 2019 ). Indeed, despite the inability to encode proteins, multiple studies have demonstrated the importance of different types of ncRNA molecules in virtually all stages of the viral infection process, namely, in the regulation of viral replication, viral persistence, host immune evasion, and cellular transformation ( He et al, 2008 ; Tycowski et al, 2015 ; Stamm and Lodmell, 2019 ; Talló-Parra et al, 2022 ).…”