Mucosal Immunology Lab, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago 60612, IL, USA.
Cells. 2020 Jan 22;9(2):269. doi: 10.3390/cells9020269.
Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) are a class of endogenous, non-protein coding RNAs that are increasingly being associated with various cellular functions and diseases. Yet, despite their ubiquity and abundance, only a minute fraction of these molecules has an assigned function. LncRNAs show tissue-, cell-, and developmental stage-specific expression, and are differentially expressed under physiological or pathological conditions. The role of lncRNAs in the lineage commitment of immune cells and shaping immune responses is becoming evident. Myeloid cells and lymphoid cells are two major classes of immune systems that work in concert to initiate and amplify innate and adaptive immunity in vertebrates. In this review, we provide mechanistic roles of lncRNA through which these noncoding RNAs can directly participate in the differentiation, polarization, and activation of myeloid (monocyte, macrophage, and dendritic cells) and lymphoid cells (T cells, B cells, and NK cells). While our knowledge on the role of lncRNA in immune cell differentiation and function has improved in the past decade, further studies are required to unravel the biological role of lncRNAs and identify novel mechanisms of lncRNA functions in immune cells. Harnessing the regulatory potential of lncRNAs can provide novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets in treating immune cell related diseases.
长链非编码 RNA（lncRNA）是一类内源性、非蛋白编码的 RNA，它们与各种细胞功能和疾病的关系越来越密切。然而，尽管这些分子普遍存在且丰富，但只有一小部分具有特定的功能。lncRNA 表现出组织、细胞和发育阶段特异性表达，并在生理或病理条件下表现出差异表达。lncRNA 在免疫细胞谱系分化和塑造免疫反应中的作用正变得明显。髓系细胞和淋巴系细胞是脊椎动物中协同启动和放大固有和适应性免疫的两个主要免疫细胞类群。在这篇综述中，我们提供了 lncRNA 的机制作用，这些非编码 RNA 可以直接参与髓系（单核细胞、巨噬细胞和树突状细胞）和淋巴系细胞（T 细胞、B 细胞和 NK 细胞）的分化、极化和激活。虽然我们在过去十年中对 lncRNA 在免疫细胞分化和功能中的作用有了更多的了解，但仍需要进一步的研究来揭示 lncRNA 在免疫细胞中的生物学作用和鉴定 lncRNA 功能的新机制。利用 lncRNA 的调节潜力可以为治疗与免疫细胞相关的疾病提供新的诊断和治疗靶点。
