A microRNA of infectious laryngotracheitis virus can downregulate and direct cleavage of ICP4 mRNA

Viral microRNAs regulate gene expression using either translational repression or mRNA cleavage and decay. Two microRNAs from infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), iltv-miR-I5 and iltv-miR-I6, map antisense to the ICP4 gene. Post-transcriptional repression by these microRNAs was tested against a portion of the ICP4 coding sequence cloned downstream of firefly luciferase. Luciferase activity was downregulated by approximately 60% with the iltv-miR-I5 mimic. Addition of an iltv-miR-I5 antagomiR or mutagenesis of the target seed sequence alleviated this effect. The iltv-miR-I5 mimic, when co-transfected with a plasmid expressing ICP4, reduced ICP4 transcript levels by approximately 50%, and inhibition was relieved by an iltv-miR-I5 antagomiR. In infected cells, iltv-miR-I5 mediated cleavage at the canonical site, as indicated by modified RACE analysis. Thus, in this system, iltv-miR-I5 decreased ILTV ICP4 mRNA levels via transcript cleavage and degradation. Downregulation of ICP4 could impact the balance between the lytic and latent states of the virus in vivo.