Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), an AIDS-defining illness, is caused by Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). A member of the human herpesvirus family, designated as human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), KSHV is also linked to other oncogenic manifestations such as primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). The current dearth of available compounds against KSHV necessitates development of effective antiviral treatments. As with other herpesviruses, KSHV can result in both lytic and latent infections. KSHV pathogenesis and the development of KS have been associated with the expression of KSHV genes and transcripts during viral infections. The transcriptome of KSHV heavily intersects with regulatory pathways and mechanisms involved with a multitude of diseases in humans. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently been discovered to be expressed by KSHV. Research endeavors on KSHV circRNAs have focused on the roles they play throughout latent and lytic infection. Understanding the specific functions and interactions of KSHV circRNAs with the viral and host transcriptomes, as well as how they are identified and analyzed, will be the primary focus of this review. Overall, recent advances in KSHV circRNA research have deepened our understanding of the KSHV transcriptome and pathogenesis and are paving the way for the development of circRNA-based antiviral therapies.
卡波西肉瘤（KS）是一种艾滋病指征性疾病，由卡波西肉瘤相关疱疹病毒（KSHV）引起。作为人类疱疹病毒家族成员（被命名为人类疱疹病毒8型/HHV-8），KSHV还与原发性渗出性淋巴瘤等其他致癌表现相关。目前针对KSHV的有效化合物匮乏，亟需开发抗病毒治疗方案。与其他疱疹病毒类似，KSHV可导致裂解性和潜伏性感染。KSHV的致病机制及KS的发展与病毒感染期间KSHV基因及转录本的表达密切相关。KSHV转录组与人类多种疾病的调控通路及机制存在广泛交集。近期研究发现KSHV可表达环状RNA（circRNA），相关研究主要聚焦于circRNA在潜伏期和裂解期感染过程中的作用机制。本综述将重点阐述KSHV circRNA的具体功能及其与病毒/宿主转录组的相互作用，并系统介绍其鉴定与分析方法。总体而言，KSHV circRNA研究的最新进展深化了我们对KSHV转录组及致病机制的理解，为开发基于circRNA的抗病毒疗法奠定了理论基础。
Recent Studies on Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Circular RNAs
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家