Identification and Potential Functions of Ebola Virus-Encoded MicroRNAs in EBOV-Infected Human ARPE Cells

Ebola virus (EBOV) causes Ebola virus disease (EVD), a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever. Although much research has focused on host miRNA expression during EBOV infection, it has been discovered that EBOV itself also produces miRNAs. However, further studies are needed to fully comprehend the role of these EBOV-encoded miRNAs in infection and disease development. This study aimed to identify known and novel EBOV-encoded miRNAs and their potential functions in the pathogenic mechanisms of EBOV. We reanalyzed previously available small RNASeq data to identify the miRNAs and predict their cellular targets and functions. We identified four EBOV-encoded miRNAs—EBOV-mir-M1 (4390–4414), EBOV-mir-M4, EBOV-mir-M2 (8288–8309), and EBOV-mir-M3 (9885–9906)—expressed specifically in Ebola-infected human adult retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE) cells. EBOV-mir-M1 (4390–4414) was expressed up to 19 times more than the other three miRNAs. The identified miRNAs were predicted to target genes associated with pathways such as calcium signaling, MAPK signaling, type I interferon signaling, and cytokine-mediated signaling, which play critical roles in Ebola infection and pathogenesis. This study contributes to our understanding of the role of EBOV-encoded miRNAs in infection and pathogenesis by demonstrating the expression of these miRNAs in human ARPE cells, providing insights into the mechanisms underlying EBOV pathogenesis.