Melissari Maria-Theodora, Grote Phillip
Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Center for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Pflugers Arch. 2016 Jun;468(6):945-58. doi: 10.1007/s00424-016-1804-y. Epub 2016 Mar 5.
While the vast majority of the genome is transcribed into RNA, only a small fraction of these transcripts have protein-coding potential. A large fraction of the transcribed RNA belongs to the class known as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Several recent studies have shown that at least some of these lncRNA transcripts represent functional RNA molecules. LncRNAs can utilize a wide range of mechanisms to regulate the RNA and/or the protein content of a cell on the transcriptional and the post-transcriptional levels. So far, many studies have identified differentially expressed lncRNAs in various physiological contexts, genetic disorders and human diseases. A steadily increasing number of studies could establish functional roles for some of these lncRNAs in developmental processes, cancer and tissue homeostasis. Taken together, these functions provide an additional layer of gene regulation and contribute to the high complexity of physiological and disease-related phenotypes.
虽然基因组的绝大部分都转录成了RNA，但这些转录本中只有一小部分具有蛋白质编码潜力。大部分转录RNA属于一类被称为长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）的分子。最近的几项研究表明，这些lncRNA转录本中至少有一些代表功能性RNA分子。lncRNA可以利用多种机制在转录和转录后水平上调节细胞的RNA和/或蛋白质含量。到目前为止，许多研究已经在各种生理环境、遗传疾病和人类疾病中鉴定出差异表达的lncRNA。越来越多的研究能够确定其中一些lncRNA在发育过程、癌症和组织稳态中的功能作用。综上所述，这些功能提供了一层额外的基因调控，并导致了生理和疾病相关表型的高度复杂性。
