We found that ectopic expression of miR-K12-5 caused ～2-fold reduction in ORF50 mRNA relative to the level for vector control-transfected cells (Fig.2B). This indicates that miR-K12-5 is capable of repressing ORF50 mRNA when introduced in ΔmiR BAC36-containing cells.
From the targets identified to date (Table 1, Figure 1) it is apparent that viral miRNAs play an important role in immune evasion by inhibiting immune surveillance and extending the life of the infected host cell. Table 1 Immunomodulatory viral miRNAs.
