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In latently infected marmoset T cells, Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) expresses six microRNAs (known as miR-HSURs [H. saimiri U-rich RNAs]). The viral miR-HSURs are processed from chimeric primary transcripts, each containing a noncoding U-rich RNA (HSUR) and a pre-miRNA hairpin. To uncover the functions of miR-HSURs, we identified mRNA targets in infected cells using high-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by cross-linking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP). HITS-CLIP revealed hundreds of robust Argonaute (Ago) binding sites mediated by miR-HSURs that map to the host genome but few in the HVS genome. Gene ontology analysis showed that several pathways regulating the cell cycle are enriched among cellular targets of miR-HSURs. Interestingly, miR-HSUR4-3p represses expression of the p300 transcriptional coactivator by binding the open reading frame of its mRNA. miR-HSUR5-3p directly regulates BiP, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized chaperone facilitating maturation of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) and the antiviral response. miR-HSUR5-3p also robustly downregulates WEE1, a key negative regulator of cell cycle progression, leading to reduced phosphorylation of its substrate, cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk1). Consistently, inhibition of miR-HSUR5-3p in HVS-infected cells decreases their proliferation. Together, our results shed light on the roles of viral miRNAs in cellular transformation and viral latency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]