Regulation of the Wilms' tumour suppressor (WT1) gene by an antisense RNA: a link with genomic imprinting?

Antisense transcripts are typically associated with the down-regulation of gene expression. In this issue, Moorwood et al. present evidence that an antisense RNA can enhance expression of the Wilms' tumour suppressor locus WT1. We suggest that the unusual function of the WT1 antisense RNA might relate to the recent discovery of an antisense transcript that is involved in regulating imprinted expression of the murine Igf2r gene, particularly since there is some evidence that the WT1 gene is regulated by genomic imprinting in humans.