Department of Histology and Embryology, College of Basic Medicine, Tianjin Medical University, 300070 Tianjin, China.
Department of Histology and Embryology, College of Basic Medicine, Tianjin Medical University, 300070 Tianjin, China.
Gene. 2014 Aug 15;547(1):1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2014.06.043. Epub 2014 Jun 23.
Over the past fifteen years, small regulatory RNAs, such as siRNA and miRNA, have been extensively investigated and the underlying molecular mechanisms have been well documented, suggesting that ncRNAs play a major function in many cellular processes. An expanding body of evidence reveals that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), once described as dark matter, are involved in diverse cellular progresses, including regulation of gene expression, dosage compensation, genomic imprinting, nuclear organization and nuclear-cytoplasm trafficking via a number of complex mechanisms. The emerging links between lncRNAs and diseases as well as their tissue-specific expression patterns also indicate that lncRNAs comprise a core transcriptional regulatory circuitry. The function of lncRNAs is based on their sequence and structure; and they can combine with DNA, RNA, and proteins both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. However, detailed insights into their biological and mechanistic functions are only beginning to emerge. In this review, we will mainly talk about diverse ways of action of lncRNAs in different sub-cellular locations and provide clues for following studies.
在过去的十五年中，小的调控 RNA，如 siRNA 和 miRNA，已经得到了广泛的研究，其潜在的分子机制也得到了很好的记录，这表明 ncRNAs 在许多细胞过程中起着主要作用。越来越多的证据表明，长非编码 RNA（lncRNAs），曾经被描述为暗物质，参与了多种细胞进程，包括通过许多复杂的机制调节基因表达、剂量补偿、基因组印记、核组织和核质运输。lncRNAs 与疾病之间的新联系以及它们的组织特异性表达模式也表明，lncRNAs 构成了核心转录调控回路。lncRNAs 的功能基于其序列和结构；它们可以在细胞核和细胞质中与 DNA、RNA 和蛋白质结合。然而，对于它们的生物学和机制功能的详细了解才刚刚开始出现。在这篇综述中，我们将主要讨论 lncRNAs 在不同亚细胞位置的多种作用方式，并为后续研究提供线索。
