Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), an RNA virus, is responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic of 2020. Experimental evidence suggests that microRNA can mediate an intracellular defence mechanism against some RNA viruses. The purpose of this study was to identify microRNA with predicted binding sites in the SARS-CoV-2 genome, compare these to their microRNA expression profiles in lung epithelial tissue and make inference towards possible roles for microRNA in mitigating coronavirus infection. We hypothesize that high expression of specific coronavirus-targeting microRNA in lung epithelia may protect against infection and viral propagation, conversely, low expression may confer susceptibility to infection. We have identified 128 human microRNA with potential to target the SARS-CoV-2 genome, most of which have very low expression in lung epithelia. Six of these 128 microRNA are differentially expressed upon in vitro infection of SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, 28 microRNA also target the SARS-CoV genome while 23 microRNA target the MERS-CoV genome. We also found that a number of microRNA are commonly identified in two other studies. Further research into identifying bona fide coronavirus targeting microRNA will be useful in understanding the importance of microRNA as a cellular defence mechanism against pathogenic coronavirus infections.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, microRNA, lung epithelia, cellular antiviral defence, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, coronavirus disease, Coronavirus infection, pandemic, SARS-CoV, susceptibility, Genome, Infection, binding site, infections, RNA viruses, Research, In vitro infection, RNA virus, expression, mechanism, cellular, Evidence, acute respiratory syndrome, tissue, low expression, viral propagation, pathogenic coronavirus, lung epithelial, expression profile, PROTECT, responsible, predicted, identify, differentially expressed, MERS-CoV genome, the SARS-CoV-2 genome, 【제목키워드】 Human, prediction, epithelium,