摘要Type I interferon(IFN)signaling is the principal response mediating antiviral innate immunity. IFN transcription is dependent upon the activation of transcription factors IRF3/IRF7 and NF-KB. Many viral proteins have been shown as being capable of interfering with IFN signaling to facilitate evasion from the host innate immune response.Here, we report that a viral miRNA, miR-K12-11, encoded by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV)is critical for the modulation of IFN signaling and acts through targeting 1-kappa-B kinase epsilon(IKKε). Ectopic expression of miR-K12-11 resulted in decreased IKKε expression, while inhibition of miR-K12-11 was found to restore IKKE expression in KSHV-infected cells. Importantly, expression of milk-K12-I1 attenuated IFN signaling by decreasing IKKε-mediated IRF3/IRF7 phosphorylation and by inhibiting the activation of IKKE-dependent IFN stimulating genes(ISGs), allowing miR-K12-11 suppression of antiviral immunity. Our data suggest that IKKE targeting by miR-K12-11 is an important strategy utilized by KSHV to modulate IFN signaling during the KSHV lifecycle, especially in latency. We also demonstrated that IKKE was able to enhance KSHV reactivation synergistically with the treatment of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate. Moreover, inhibition of miR-K12-11enhanced KSHV reactivation induced by vesicular stomatitis virus infection. Taken together, our findings also suggest that miR-K12-11 can contribute to maintenance of KSHV latency by targeting IKKE.