Lessons Learned from In Vivo Studies of a Viral Noncoding RNA

Abstract

Despite increasing interest in the biology of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), few functions have been uncovered for viral ncRNAs in vivo . In their recent article in mSphere , Feldman and colleagues [E. R. Feldman et al., mSphere 1(2):e00105-15, 2016, doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00105-15 ] demonstrate a highly specific activity of a gammaherpesviral ncRNA in viral dissemination and establishment of latent infection. Their work highlights several interesting features that should be informative to future studies of viral ncRNA.