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Targets foreign and domestic
The cytosolic protein RIG-I (retinoic acid–inducible gene I) is a sensor of viral RNA, and its activation induces the host’s antiviral response. Ingle et al. found that infection of various human and mouse cells with RNA viruses, including the H5N1 influenza virus, resulted in the increased production of the microRNA miR-485, which targeted RIG-I mRNA for degradation. As a result, antiviral signaling was inhibited and viral replication was enhanced. However, when cells were exposed to increased amounts of virus, mir-485 was expressed, but viral replication was inhibited. Under these conditions, miR-485 targeted PB1 mRNA, which is a viral transcript required for H5N1 replication. Together, these data suggest that miR-485 exhibits bispecificity, with the extent of infection determining its target.