Highly conserved and cis-acting lncRNAs produced from paralogous regions in the center of HOXA and HOXB clusters in the endoderm lineage

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in gene regulatory networks acting in early development. There has been rapid turnover of lncRNA loci during vertebrate evolution, with few human lncRNAs conserved beyond mammals. The sequences of these rare deeply conserved lncRNAs are typically not similar to each other. Here, we characterize HOXA-AS3 and HOXB-AS3, lncRNAs produced from the central regions of the HOXA and HOXB clusters. Sequence-similar orthologs of both lncRNAs are found in multiple vertebrate species and there is evident sequence similarity between their promoters, suggesting that the production of these lncRNAs predates the duplication of the HOX clusters at the root of the vertebrate lineage. This conservation extends to similar expression patterns of the two lncRNAs, in particular in cells transiently arising during early development or in the adult colon. Functionally, the RNA products of HOXA-AS3 and HOXB-AS3 regulate the expression of their overlapping HOX5–7 genes both in HT-29 cells and during differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. Beyond production of paralogous protein-coding and microRNA genes, the regulatory program in the HOX clusters therefore also relies on paralogous lncRNAs acting in restricted spatial and temporal windows of embryonic development and cell differentiation.     

长链非编码RNA研究进展

长链非编码RNA(long noncoding RNAs,lncRNAs)是一类长度超过200nt的非编码RNA分子,通过信号分子、诱饵分子、引导分子、支架分子等4种方式在转录水平和转录后水平调控基因的表达。lncRNAs的表达水平相对于蛋白编码基因较低,但它们在X染色体沉默、基因组印迹、染色体修饰、转录激活、转录干扰以及核内运输等方面具有重要的功能。相对于研究较多的非编码小RNA,lncRNAs的功能目前尚不完全清楚。该文从lncRNAs的起源、分类、分子机制、功能和进化等方面综述了lncRNAs的研究进展,为进一步探究lncRNAs的功能和作用机制提供依据。     

利用RIP-Seq技术鉴定HepG2细胞中与HuR蛋白结合的lncRNAs

长链非编码RNAs（long noncoding RNAs, lncRNAs）可在表观遗传水平、转录水平和转录后水平调节基因的表达,对细胞功能起着重要的调节作用。RNA结合蛋白可与很多的RNA结合,并在转录后水平发挥重要的调节作用。然而,RNA结合蛋白是否可以在细胞内广泛结合lncRNAs对其发挥调节作用,仍需进一步证实。本研究通过RNA结合蛋白免疫沉淀技术联合高通量测序（RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation-high throughput sequencing, RIP-Seq）的方法在人肝癌细胞株HepG2中,鉴定与人抗原R（human antigen R, HuR）蛋白相结合的lncRNA分子,并进行了初步的验证。首先,通过HuR-RIP实验分离与HuR蛋白结合的RNA分子,然后高通量测序及生物信息学分析。根据分析结果,鉴定出HepG2细胞中361条与HuR蛋白结合的lncRNAs分子,包括基因间lncRNA（large intergenic noncoding RNA, LincRNA）、内含子lncRNA、与编码基因正义链有重叠的lncRNA和与编码基因反义链有重叠lncRNA（antisense lncRNA）等。并进一步通过RIP-qPCR技术,对其中20条LincRNA分子进行了定量检测,验证测序结果。在HepG2细胞中敲低HuR基因表达,发现这些LincRNA分子中,11条LincRNA分子表达水平显著降低（P＜0.05）,2条LincRNA显著升高（P＜0.05）,剩余7条LincRNA表达量未发生变化（P＞0.05）。本研究结果说明,HuR在细胞内可以广泛结合lncRNA分子,并且可能对结合的lncRNA分子的表达量产生影响,这也为进一步研究这些lncRNA的功能和HuR调控网络的研究提供了基础。     

非编码长链RNA与基因表达调控

近年来,在小鼠全长cDNA文库大规模测序中发现一类新的转录物——非编码长链RNA(long noncoding RNA,lncRNA),引起了科学界的关注.lncRNA长度大于200个核苷酸,无蛋白质编码功能,在真核细胞基因组中被普遍转录.lncRNA种类繁多,数量庞大,占哺乳动物基因组转录物的绝大部分.相对于研究较多的非编码小RNA,lncRNA的功能目前尚不完全清楚.但越来越多的研究发现,lncRNA在多个水平调控基因的表达,在胚胎发育、物种进化、细胞分化和某些疾病如神经退行性疾病及肿瘤的发生过程中起着重要作用.本文在简要介绍lncRNA基本概念的基础上,结合当前研究成果,就lncRNA在转录水平、转录后水平和表观遗传水平调控基因表达的机制作一综述.