VirusCircBase

VirusCircBase catalogs circular RNAs encoded by viruses, providing a curated collection of viral circRNAs identified from RNA sequencing data to support research on their sequences, expression specificity, and functional associations.

Key Features:

• Content: The current database contains 46,440 viral circRNAs derived from 26 distinct viruses and incorporates an earlier systematic survey reporting 11,924 circRNAs across 23 viral species.
• Identification method: Viral circRNAs were identified by applying CIRI2 to viral infection–related RNA sequencing datasets from the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA).
• Virus scope: Entries cover double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses, single-stranded RNA viruses, and retro-transcribing viruses, including Zika virus, Influenza A virus, Zaire ebolavirus, and Human immunodeficiency virus 1.
• Sequence features: Most viral circRNAs possess reverse complementary sequences or repeated sequences at flanking regions adjacent to back-splice sites.
• Expression specificity: Many viral circRNAs display expression specificity, occurring only in particular cell lines or tissues within specific host species.
• Version: Version 1.1.

Scientific Applications:

• Pathway association: Viral circRNAs from dsDNA viruses are implicated in KEGG pathways associated with cancer.
• Functional investigation: Supports investigation of biological functions and potential roles of viral circRNAs in disease mechanisms.
• Comparative expression analysis: Enables study of expression specificity across cell lines, tissues, and host species.

Methodology:

Viral infection–related RNA sequencing data from the NCBI Sequence Read Archive (SRA) were analyzed using CIRI2.