IDENTIFYING VIRAL CELL TROPISM

摘要

The invention relates to an in vitro method for identifying microRNA or the target mRNAs thereof, the expression of which, during the infection of cells by a virus using a cell receptor and at least one cell co-receptor in order to enter the cell, is specifically modified on the basis of the cell co-receptor used by the virus for the entry thereof into the cells, said method including: i) determining the microRNA expression levels in a test cell, expressing a receptor, a first co-receptor, and at least one other co-receptor, after infection by a first virus using the first co-receptor and by at least one other virus using another co-receptor, respectively; ii) identifying the microRNAs, the expression level of which is modulated during the infection by each of the viruses in relation to the expression level in the uninfected cells; iii) comparing the thus-identified mircoRNAs ; iv) selecting the microRNAs, the modification of the expression level of which is specific to the use of a co-receptor; and v) optionally identifying the target mRNAs of the thus-selected microRNAs.