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Peer-reviewedCC BYMolecular cell

Small genomes, big lessons: what viruses teach us about structure-based riboregulation

  • Tanja Hann1
  • Harim Jang2,3
  • Yu-Chieh Sung2
  • Chia-Lun Guh2
  • Nicholas M. Hiers2,3
  • Lucille H. Tsao4
  • Michelle Luo4
  • Anna Marie Pyle2,3,4,5
5 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
  2. 2Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
  3. 3Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
  4. 4Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
  5. 5Lead contact
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Abstract

RNA viruses encode multiple layers of information within a single molecule, which functions simultaneously as a template for protein synthesis and as a structured regulatory RNA. These structures control key aspects of viral gene expression, govern host interactions, and mediate immune evasion. Although the prevalence of RNA structure in viral genomes is now well established, only recently have functional and mechanistic studies begun to uncover how these elements act as regulatory modules that shape infection outcomes. With their compact genomes and experimentally tractable life cycles, RNA viruses represent powerful model systems for uncovering the fundamental building blocks of riboregulation and illuminating principles of gene control conserved across eukaryotes. Here, we review current mechanistic understanding of RNA structure-based regulation across diverse viral families and draw parallels to structure-mediated gene control in eukaryotic transcriptomes, highlighting RNA structure as a central regulatory layer in gene expression with broad therapeutic and synthetic biology potential.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{hann2026small,
  title = {{Small genomes, big lessons: what viruses teach us about structure-based riboregulation}},
  author = {Tanja Hann and Harim Jang and Yu-Chieh Sung and Chia-Lun Guh and Nicholas M. Hiers and Lucille H. Tsao and Michelle Luo and Anna Marie Pyle},
  journal = {Molecular cell},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1016/j.molcel.2026.10.001},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2026.10.001},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Small genomes, big lessons: what viruses teach us about structure-based riboregulation
AU  - Tanja Hann
AU  - Harim Jang
AU  - Yu-Chieh Sung
AU  - Chia-Lun Guh
AU  - Nicholas M. Hiers
AU  - Lucille H. Tsao
AU  - Michelle Luo
AU  - Anna Marie Pyle
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/26
JO  - Molecular cell
DO  - 10.1016/j.molcel.2026.10.001
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2026.10.001
AB  - RNA viruses encode multiple layers of information within a single molecule, which functions simultaneously as a template for protein synthesis and as a structured regulatory RNA. These structures control key aspects of viral gene expression, govern host interactions, and mediate immune evasion. Although the prevalence of RNA structure in viral genomes is now well established, only recently have functional and mechanistic studies begun to uncover how these elements act as regulatory modules that shape infection outcomes. With their compact genomes and experimentally tractable life cycles, RNA viruses represent powerful model systems for uncovering the fundamental building blocks of riboregulation and illuminating principles of gene control conserved across eukaryotes. Here, we review current mechanistic understanding of RNA structure-based regulation across diverse viral families and draw parallels to structure-mediated gene control in eukaryotic transcriptomes, highlighting RNA structure as a central regulatory layer in gene expression with broad therapeutic and synthetic biology potential.
SN  - 1097-2765
SN  - 1097-4164
ER  -