Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Dual CRISPR-Interference Strategy for Targeting Synthetic Lethal Interactions Between Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer Cells
Published on: May 30, 2025
Long non-coding RNAs involved in cancer development and cell fate determination
Masatoshi Kitagawa1, Yojiro Kotake, Tatsuya Ohhata
1Department of Molecular Biology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan. kitamasa@hama-med.ac.jp
Abstract:
The possible physiological significance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has only recently been recognized. Technical innovations such as the super high-resolution tiling array and deep sequencing technology have indicated their importance. It has been proposed that lncRNAs such as HOTAIR are involved in the recruitment of chromatin modifiers to the target genes. The lncRNA ANRIL has been reported to be associated with a Polycomb complex, recruiting it to the target gene INK4 locus where it suppresses transcription via histone modification. Other lncRNAs such as Kcnq1ot1, AIR and Xist have also been found to recruit chromatin modifiers to their target loci. In this review, we discuss the function of lncRNAs such as HOTAIR, ANRIL, Kcnq1ot1, and Xist which recruit chromatin modifiers to target genes and discuss their involvement in cancer development and aggressiveness, and other cell fate determination.
Related Concept Videos
lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs
lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs
Non-LTR Retrotransposons
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...