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Updated: Apr 24, 2026

Mapping the Structure-Function Relationships of Disordered Oncogenic Transcription Factors Using Transcriptomic Analysis
Published on: June 27, 2020
A functional genomic approach identifies FAL1 as an oncogenic long noncoding RNA that associates with BMI1 and
Xiaowen Hu1, Yi Feng2, Dongmei Zhang3
1Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Abstract:
In a genome-wide survey on somatic copy-number alterations (SCNAs) of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in 2,394 tumor specimens from 12 cancer types, we found that about 21.8% of lncRNA genes were located in regions with focal SCNAs. By integrating bioinformatics analyses of lncRNA SCNAs and expression with functional screening assays, we identified an oncogene, focally amplified lncRNA on chromosome 1 (FAL1), whose copy number and expression are correlated with outcomes in ovarian cancer. FAL1 associates with the epigenetic repressor BMI1 and regulates its stability in order to modulate the transcription of a number of genes including CDKN1A. The oncogenic activity of FAL1 is partially attributable to its repression of p21. FAL1-specific siRNAs significantly inhibit tumor growth in vivo.
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