Circular RNAs in Viral Infection and Antiviral Treatment

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that lack the 5′-cap structure and the 3′ poly(A) tail. Their distinguishing feature is that the 3′ and 5′ ends are covalently linked to form a closed circular structure. CircRNAs have a longer half-life and stronger ribonuclease resistance compared with linear RNA. Viral infections lead to the production of circRNA molecules through the transcription and splicing mechanisms of host cells. circRNAs are produced from the transcription and splicing of the viral genome or from the splicing reactions of the host cell gene. They participate in regulating the replication of many viruses, including coronaviruses, human herpesviruses, human immunodeficiency virus, and cytomegalovirus. CircRNAs regulate the infection process by modulating circRNA expression in host cells and affect cellular biological processes. Some circRNAs have been proposed as diagnostic markers for viral infections. In this review, we discussed the properties of virus-derived circRNAs, the biological functions of diverse viruses-derived and host circRNAs during viral infections, and the critical role of circRNAs in the host’s antiviral immune defense. Extensive research on the applications of circRNAs can help us better understand gene regulatory networks and disease mechanisms.