Allied Health Sciences Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
Heredity (Edinb). 2012 Jan;108(1):42-9. doi: 10.1038/hdy.2011.104. Epub 2011 Nov 9.
As important as the events that influence selection for specific chromosome types in the derivation of novel karyotypes, are the events that initiate the changes in chromosome number and structure between species, and likewise polymorphisms, variants and disease states within species. Although once thought of as transcriptional 'noise', noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are now recognized as important mediators of epigenetic regulation and chromosome stability. Here we highlight recent work that illustrates the influence short and long ncRNAs have as participants in the function and stability of chromosome regions such as centromeres, telomeres, evolutionary breakpoints and fragile sites. We summarize recent evidence that ncRNAs can facilitate chromosome change and present mechanisms by which ncRNAs create DNA breaks. Finally, we present hypotheses on how they may create novel karyotypes and thus affect chromosome evolution.
在新核型的形成中，影响特定染色体类型选择的事件非常重要，但启动物种间染色体数量和结构变化的事件同样重要，种内的多态性、变体和疾病状态也是如此。虽然非编码 RNA（ncRNA）曾经被认为是转录“噪音”，但现在被认为是表观遗传调控和染色体稳定性的重要介质。在这里，我们重点介绍了最近的工作，这些工作说明了短链和长链 ncRNA 作为参与着动粒、端粒、进化断点和脆弱位点等染色体区域功能和稳定性的参与者的影响。我们总结了最近的证据，表明 ncRNA 可以促进染色体的变化，并提出了 ncRNA 产生 DNA 断裂的机制。最后，我们提出了它们如何创造新核型并影响染色体进化的假说。
