Right ventricular long noncoding RNA expression in human heart failure

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Molecular Biology
• Cardiovascular Science

Background:

• Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) roles in human heart failure (HF) remain underexplored.
• Understanding noncoding RNA expression is crucial for elucidating HF pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively profile the lncRNA transcriptome in human heart failure.
• To identify differentially expressed lncRNAs, pseudogenes, and antisense RNAs in HF hearts compared to donor hearts.

Main Methods:

• RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed on 22 explanted human HF hearts and 5 unused donor hearts.
• Bioinformatic analyses using Cufflinks and DESeq identified transcript isoforms and differentially expressed genes.
• Noncoding RNAs were annotated using Ensembl release 73, and functional roles were explored using in silico tools.

Main Results:

• RNA-Seq identified 84,793 total transcripts, including 13,019 protein-coding genes, 2,085 lncRNA genes, and 1,064 pseudogenes in HF hearts.
• A total of 105 differentially expressed lncRNAs, including pseudogenes and antisense RNAs, were identified in HF hearts.
• HF hearts showed differential expression in 7.7% of protein-coding genes, 3.7% of lncRNAs, and 2.5% of pseudogenes compared to donor hearts.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a comprehensive transcriptomic profile of the right ventricle in human HF.
• Identified differentially expressed lncRNAs, antisense RNAs, and pseudogenes serve as a valuable inventory for future mechanistic investigations into HF.
• In silico analyses suggest diverse regulatory functions for the identified lncRNAs in HF.