Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
EMBO J. 2013 Jul 3;32(13):1805-16. doi: 10.1038/emboj.2013.134. Epub 2013 Jun 11.
Cardiogenesis in mammals requires exquisite control of gene expression and faulty regulation of transcriptional programs underpins congenital heart disease (CHD), the most common defect among live births. Similarly, many adult cardiac diseases involve transcriptional changes and sometimes have a developmental basis. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a novel class of transcripts that regulate cellular processes by controlling gene expression; however, detailed insights into their biological and mechanistic functions are only beginning to emerge. Here, we discuss recent findings suggesting that lncRNAs are important factors in regulation of mammalian cardiogenesis and in the pathogenesis of CHD as well as adult cardiac disease. We also outline potential methodological and conceptual considerations for future studies of lncRNAs in the heart and other contexts.
哺乳动物的心脏发生需要精细的基因表达调控，而转录程序的失调是先天性心脏病（CHD）的基础，CHD 是活产儿中最常见的缺陷。同样，许多成人心脏疾病涉及转录变化，有时具有发育基础。长链非编码 RNA（lncRNA）是一类新的转录本，通过控制基因表达来调节细胞过程；然而，它们的生物学和机制功能的详细见解才刚刚开始出现。在这里，我们讨论了最近的发现，表明 lncRNA 是调节哺乳动物心脏发生和 CHD 以及成人心脏疾病发病机制的重要因素。我们还概述了未来在心脏和其他情况下研究 lncRNA 时潜在的方法学和概念考虑因素。
