Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
Nature. 2012 Feb 15;482(7385):339-46. doi: 10.1038/nature10887.
It is clear that RNA has a diverse set of functions and is more than just a messenger between gene and protein. The mammalian genome is extensively transcribed, giving rise to thousands of non-coding transcripts. Whether all of these transcripts are functional is debated, but it is evident that there are many functional large non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Recent studies have begun to explore the functional diversity and mechanistic role of these large ncRNAs. Here we synthesize these studies to provide an emerging model whereby large ncRNAs might achieve regulatory specificity through modularity, assembling diverse combinations of proteins and possibly RNA and DNA interactions.
显然,RNA 具有多种功能,它不仅仅是基因和蛋白质之间的信使。哺乳动物基因组广泛转录,产生数千种非编码转录本。这些转录本是否都具有功能尚存在争议,但显然有许多具有功能的大型非编码 RNA(ncRNA)。最近的研究开始探索这些大型 ncRNA 的功能多样性和机制作用。在这里,我们综合这些研究,提出一个新的模型,即大型 ncRNA 可能通过模块化实现调节特异性,组装不同的蛋白质组合,可能还有 RNA 和 DNA 相互作用。