Sána J, Faltejsková P, Svoboda M, Slabý O
CEITEC- Stredoevropsky techologicky institut, Brno.
Klin Onkol. 2012;25(4):246-54.
A major portion of the eukaryotic genome is occupied by DNA sequences; transcripts of these sequences do not code for proteins. This part of the eukaryotic genome is transcribed in a developmentally regulated manner or as a response to external stimuli to produce large numbers of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Genome-wide studies indicate the existence of more than 3,300 lncRNAs. Long non-coding RNAs are tentatively defined as molecules of ncRNAs that are more than two hundred nucleotides long. Due to the complexity and diversity of their sequences, progress in the field of lncRNAs has been very slow. Nonetheless, lncRNAs have emerged as key molecules involved in the control of transcriptional and posttranscriptional gene regulatory pathways. Although limited numbers of functional lncRNAs have been identified so far, the immense regulatory potential of lncRNAs is already evident, emphasizing that a genome-wide characterization of functional lncRNAs is needed. The fact that many lncRNAs are deregulated in various human cancers, together with their functional characteristics, implies their eminent role in carcinogenesis. In this review, we summarize novel classes of lncRNAs, describe their biological functions emphasizing their roles in tumor biology and translational oncology research.
真核生物基因组的大部分被DNA序列占据；这些序列的转录本并不编码蛋白质。真核生物基因组的这一部分以发育调控的方式转录，或作为对外部刺激的反应，以产生大量长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）。全基因组研究表明存在超过3300种lncRNA。长链非编码RNA被初步定义为长度超过200个核苷酸的非编码RNA分子。由于其序列的复杂性和多样性，lncRNA领域的进展一直非常缓慢。尽管如此，lncRNA已成为参与转录和转录后基因调控途径控制的关键分子。尽管到目前为止仅鉴定出数量有限的功能性lncRNA，但lncRNA巨大的调控潜力已经显现，这强调需要对功能性lncRNA进行全基因组表征。许多lncRNA在各种人类癌症中失调，连同它们的功能特性，意味着它们在致癌过程中起着重要作用。在这篇综述中，我们总结了lncRNA的新类别，描述了它们的生物学功能，强调了它们在肿瘤生物学和转化肿瘤学研究中的作用。
