长链非编码RNA(lncRNA)及其在昆虫学研究中的进展

长链非编码RNA（long noncoding RNA, lncRNA）是一类转录本长度超过200 nt的非编码RNA,主要通过转录调控和转录后调控调节基因的表达,也可通过影响蛋白质定位和端粒复制发挥其强大的生物学功能。本文在介绍lncRNA的特征、分类及其主要作用机制的基础上,综述了有关昆虫lncRNA的鉴定及功能研究等方面的最新进展。近5年来已经从黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster、小菜蛾Plutella xylostella和褐飞虱Nilaparvata lugens等8种昆虫中鉴定出了大量lncRNA,为进一步研究lncRNA在昆虫生长发育过程中的功能奠定了重要基础。非编码RNA参与调控害虫抗药性的分子机制已经成为昆虫毒理学研究的一个新兴领域,因此本文对有关lncRNA与害虫抗药性关系的最新研究进展也做了介绍。     

Long non-coding RNA Databases in Cardiovascular Research

With the rising interest in the regulatory functions of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in complex human diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, there is an increasing need in public databases offering comprehensive and integrative data for all aspects of these versatile molecules. Recently, a variety of public data repositories that specialized in lncRNAs have been developed, which make use of huge high-throughput data particularly from next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches. Here, we provide an overview of current lncRNA databases covering basic and functional annotation, lncRNA expression and regulation, interactions with other biomole-cules, and genomic variants influencing the structure and function of lncRNAs. The prominent lncRNA antisense noncoding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL), which has been unequivocally associated with coronary artery disease through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), serves as an example to demonstrate the features of each individual database.