Mutation of the putative targeting site abolished the repressive effect of miR-K1. In WT cells, a miR-K1 suppressor increased the IkaapaBalpha 3UTR reporter activity by 1.6-fold but had no effect on the mutant 3'UTR reporter activity (Fig. 6D). Together, these results indicated that, similar to human IkaapaBalpha, rat IkaapaBalpha was also a target of KSHV miR-K1.