Small Non-coding RNA Expression Following Respiratory Syncytial Virus or Measles Virus Infection of Neuronal Cells

Publication history: Accepted - 3 August 2021; Published - 3 September 2021.Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or measles virus (MeV) infection modifies host responses through small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) expression. We show that RSV or MeV infection of neuronal cells induces sncRNAs including various microRNAs and transfer RNA fragments (tRFs). We show that these tRFs originate from select tRNAs (GCC and CAC for glycine, CTT and AAC for Valine, and CCC and TTT for Lysine). Some of the tRNAs are rarely used by RSV or MeV as indicated by relative synonymous codon usage indices suggesting selective cleavage of the tRNAs occurs in infected neuronal cells. The data implies that differentially expressed sncRNAs may regulate host gene expression via multiple mechanisms in neuronal cells.The studies were supported by a grant awarded to SC and RT (IE140652) to study “Paramyxovirus miRNA biogenesis and implications for host and viral gene expression” and the Georgia Research Alliance Foundation for RT