Prosurvival long noncoding RNA regulates a subset of p53 targets in human colorectal cancer cells by binding to Matrin 3.

Thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been discovered, yet the function of the vast majority remains unclear. Here, we show that a p53-regulated lncRNA which we named (p53-induced noncoding RNA), is induced ~100-fold after DNA damage and exerts a prosurvival function in human colorectal cancer cells (CRC) and tumor growth . Targeted deletion of in CRC cells significantly impaired G1 arrest and induced hypersensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. regulates the induction of a subset of p53 targets involved in G1 arrest and apoptosis, including and . Using a novel RNA pulldown approach that utilized endogenous S1-tagged , we show that associates with the enhancer region of these genes by binding to RNA-binding protein Matrin 3 that, in turn, associates with p53. Our findings uncover a critical prosurvival function of a p53//Matrin 3 axis in response to DNA damage in CRC cells.