SNORA31: SNORA31 is a small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) that has been implicated in various biological processes [PMC7376819]. In a study, it was found that the HSE (herpes simplex encephalitis) cohort had a higher prevalence of rare SNORA31 variants, suggesting a potential link between SNORA31 mutations and HSE [PMC7376819]. The conservation of SNORA31 and the residues mutated in patients further support this association [PMC7376819]. Functional analysis revealed that wild-type snoRNA31 is functional in cortical neurons [PMC7376819]. Additionally, two of the four mutant alleles were found to be loss-of-expression, and other loss-of-expression variants in the general population had low frequency [PMC7376819]. The susceptibility of fibroblasts and iPSC-derived neurons from patients to HSV-1 (herpes simplex virus 1) infection further strengthens the connection between SNORA31 mutations and viral susceptibility [PMC7376819]. Moreover, fibroblasts from patients were also susceptible to other neurotropic viruses such as VZV (varicella-zoster virus), MeV (measles virus), VSV (vesicular stomatitis virus), and EMCV (encephalomyocarditis virus) [PMC7376819]. Furthermore, snoRNA31 was identified as a cell-intrinsic antiviral factor in cortical neurons, acting independently of TLR3 and IFNAR1/IFNAR2 response pathways [PMC7376819]. Transcriptome analysis revealed impaired responses to HSV-1 infection in SNORA31-mutated hPSC-derived cortical neurons [PMC7376819]. Additionally, isogenic hESC-derived cortical neurons with heterozygous SNORA31 null mutations exhibited high susceptibility to HSV-1 infection [PMC7376819]. In another study focused on metritis, it was found that a variant near SNORA31 on BTA4 was associated with metritis as well as other reproductive traits such as production and dystocia. This suggests potential involvement of SNORA31 in reproductive health [PMC6958677]. Overall, these findings highlight the potential role of SNORA31 in viral susceptibility and reproductive health, providing valuable insights for further research and understanding of these conditions.