From Discovery to Function: The Expanding Roles of Long NonCoding RNAs in Physiology and Disease

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a relatively poorly understood class of RNAs with little or no coding capacity transcribed from a set of incompletely annotated genes. They have received considerable attention in the past few years and are emerging as potentially important players in biological reg...

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Published inEndocrine reviews Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 25 - 64
Main Authors Sun, Miao, Kraus, W. Lee
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Endocrine Society 01.02.2015
Copyright by The Endocrine Society
Subjects
Adipogenesis - genetics
Endocrine Glands
Gene Expression
Gene Expression Regulation
Gene Library
Humans
Immune System
Metabolic Diseases - genetics
Muscle, Skeletal
Neoplasms - genetics
Nervous System
Reviews
RNA, Long Noncoding
RNA, Messenger - analysis
RNA, Untranslated - genetics
RNA, Untranslated - physiology
RNA, Untranslated - therapeutic use
Transcriptome
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Summary:Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a relatively poorly understood class of RNAs with little or no coding capacity transcribed from a set of incompletely annotated genes. They have received considerable attention in the past few years and are emerging as potentially important players in biological regulation. Here we discuss the evolving understanding of this new class of molecular regulators that has emerged from ongoing research, which continues to expand our databases of annotated lncRNAs and provide new insights into their physical properties, molecular mechanisms of action, and biological functions. We outline the current strategies and approaches that have been employed to identify and characterize lncRNAs, which have been instrumental in revealing their multifaceted roles ranging from cis- to trans-regulation of gene expression and from epigenetic modulation in the nucleus to posttranscriptional control in the cytoplasm. In addition, we highlight the molecular and biological functions of some of the best characterized lncRNAs in physiology and disease, especially those relevant to endocrinology, reproduction, metabolism, immunology, neurobiology, muscle biology, and cancer. Finally, we discuss the tremendous diagnostic and therapeutic potential of lncRNAs in cancer and other diseases.
Bibliography:The lncRNA research in the Kraus lab is supported by grants from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
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ISSN:0163-769X
1945-7189
DOI:10.1210/er.2014-1034