Regulatory RNAs and Cancer Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Mamm Genome. 2022 Jun;33(2):271-280. doi: 10.1007/s00335-021-09901-4. Epub 2021 Aug 18.
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as regulators of diverse cellular processes. Although the vast majority of lncRNAs are expressed at lower levels compared to messenger RNAs (mRNAs), many lncRNAs play a central role in the regulation of cellular homeostasis and gene expression. With the advancement of next generation sequencing technologies, recent studies illustrate the diversity of lncRNA function. This diversity can be due to differences in their mechanisms of action, spatio-temporal expression, and/or abundance, all of which can vary depending on the particular cell type or tissue. Here, we discuss how the abundance of lncRNAs is an important feature that is often linked to their functions, and why it is crucial to quantitate lncRNA abundance, its local concentration within a cell or a tissue or the dynamic changes in expression levels during cell cycle progression or upon environmental stimuli, to shed light on their physiological roles.
长链非编码 RNA（lncRNA）已成为多种细胞过程的调控因子。尽管与信使 RNA（mRNA）相比，绝大多数 lncRNA 的表达水平较低，但许多 lncRNA 在调节细胞内稳态和基因表达方面发挥着核心作用。随着下一代测序技术的进步，最近的研究说明了 lncRNA 功能的多样性。这种多样性可能是由于它们的作用机制、时空表达和/或丰度的差异所致，所有这些差异都可能因特定的细胞类型或组织而异。在这里，我们讨论了 lncRNA 的丰度如何成为与其功能相关的重要特征，以及为什么定量 lncRNA 丰度、其在细胞或组织内的局部浓度或在细胞周期进展或环境刺激期间表达水平的动态变化对于揭示其生理作用至关重要。
