Modulation of RNA Metabolism During Human Herpesvirus Infection

Abstract

Human herpesviruses (HHVs) induce lifelong infections and have adopted numerous mechanisms to completely reshape the transcriptional and post-transcriptional landscape of the host in order to prioritize the viral life cycle. HHVs undergo both lytic and latent phases and manipulate many RNA metabolic pathways within the infected cell to extensively regulate both host and viral RNA expression, ensuring the successful progression of infection. From the site of synthesis in the nucleus to the cytoplasm, HHVs carefully fine-tune the fate of RNA molecules throughout the cell. This review discusses how HHVs manipulate various RNA metabolic processes from transcription by RNA polymerases to co-transcriptional splicing, RNA modifications, transcription termination, nuclear export of mRNA, and RNA stability and degradation. It appears that most HHVs have found ways to exert extensive control over each of these pathways. Vice versa, the host is equipped with various anti-HHV defence mechanisms which will also be discussed. While this review highlights how recent technological innovations have enhanced our understanding of various RNA regulatory pathways of HHVs, it will also point to relatively underexplored topics and areas for future investigation.