Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus microRNAs

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human pathogenic gamma-herpesvirus strongly associated with the development of Kaposi's Sarcoma and B cell proliferative disorders, including primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). The identification and functional investigation of non-coding RNAs expressed by KSHV is a topic with rapidly emerging importance. KSHV miRNAs derived from 12 stem-loops located in the major latency locus have been the focus of particular attention. Recent studies describing the transcriptomewide identification of mRNA targets of the KSHV miRNAs suggest that these miRNAs have evolved a highly complex network of interactions with the cellular and viral transcriptomes. Relatively few KSHV miRNA targets, however, have been characterized at a functional level. Here, our current understanding of KSHV miRNA expression, targets, and function will be reviewed.