Nuclear body assembly by a viral repeat RNA promotes Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus gene expression.

Kaposin RNA reorganizes nuclear speckles to significantly boost KSHV gene expression, with 80% dependence on its repetitive elements.

• Why it matters: Understanding how viral RNAs manipulate host cell nuclear architecture can reveal new targets for antiviral strategies and deepen knowledge of virus-host interactions.
• What they did: The study used molecular and imaging techniques to show that kaposin exists mainly as a nuclear long non-coding RNA that rebuilds nuclear speckles near the viral genome, relying on repetitive RNA elements.
• The result: This discovery positions kaposin as a viral architectural RNA essential for nuclear speckle formation and viral gene expression, offering new insights into lncRNA functions and nuclear organization during infection.