HSUR

HSUR1
Conserved secondary structure of HSUR1.
Identifiers
SymbolHSUR1
RfamRF01802
Other data
RNA typesnRNA
Domain(s)Herpesvirus saimiri, Herpesvirus ateles
PDB structuresPDBe
HSUR2
Conserved secondary structure of HSUR2.
Identifiers
SymbolHSUR2
RfamRF01802
Other data
RNA typesnRNA
Domain(s)Herpesvirus saimiri, Herpesvirus ateles
PDB structuresPDBe

HSURs (Herpesvirus saimiri U RNAs) are viral small regulatory RNAs. They are found in Herpesvirus saimiri which is responsible for aggressive T-cell leukemias in primates. They are nuclear RNAs which bind host proteins to form small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs).[1] The RNAs are 114–143 nucleotides in length and the HSUR family has been subdivided into HSURs numbered 1 to 7.[2] The function of HSURs has not yet been identified; they do not affect transcription so are thought to act post-transcriptionally, potentially influencing the stability of host mRNAs.[1]

HSUR1 and 2 are the most conserved members of the family within HSV subgroups. HSUR1 has been shown to bind the host heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein particle protein hnRNPD in vivo.[3] Other HSURs bind HuR/ELAVL1.[2] They are transcribed by RNA polymerase II with promoters similar to that of U RNAs[1]

Features shared by all HSURs include:[1]

A proposed role for HSURs is that they use the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway to manipulate host-cell gene expression. One identified miRNA which responds to HSURs is miR-27.[4]

  1. ^ a b c d Conrad NK, Fok V, Cazalla D, Borah S, Steitz JA (2006). "The challenge of viral snRNPs". Cold Spring Harb. Symp. Quant. Biol. 71: 377–384. doi:10.1101/sqb.2006.71.057. PMID 17381320.
  2. ^ a b Tycowski K.T., Kolev N.G., Conrad N.K., Fok V., and Steitz J.A. 2006. The ever-growing world of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins. In The RNA world, 3rd edition (ed. R.F. Gesteland et al.), p. 327. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
  3. ^ Cook HL, Mischo HE, Steitz JA (May 2004). "The Herpesvirus saimiri small nuclear RNAs recruit AU-rich element-binding proteins but do not alter host AU-rich element-containing mRNA levels in virally transformed T cells". Mol. Cell. Biol. 24 (10): 4522–4533. doi:10.1128/mcb.24.10.4522-4533.2004. PMC 400482. PMID 15121869.
  4. ^ Cazalla, D; Yario, T; Steitz, JA (Jun 18, 2010). "Down-regulation of a host microRNA by a Herpesvirus saimiri noncoding RNA". Science. 328 (5985): 1563–1566. doi:10.1126/science.1187197. PMC 3075239. PMID 20558719.