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On the Origin of lncRNAs: Missing Link Found
1Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80203, USA.
Trends in Genetics : TIG
|August 6, 2017
Summary
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may evolve from enhancer-derived RNAs (eRNAs). The study of Bloodlinc, an eRNA and lncRNA, supports this evolutionary link between non-coding RNA types.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including enhancer-derived RNAs (eRNAs) and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), are crucial in gene regulation.
- The functional roles and evolutionary pathways of many ncRNAs, particularly eRNAs and lncRNAs, are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional specialization and evolutionary origins of ncRNAs.
- To explore the potential evolutionary relationship between eRNAs and lncRNAs.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of Bloodlinc, a specific ncRNA molecule.
- Analysis of Bloodlinc's origin from a super-enhancer region.
- Assessment of Bloodlinc's dual function as both an eRNA and a lncRNA.
Main Results:
- Bloodlinc originates from a super-enhancer, confirming its identity as an eRNA.
- Bloodlinc exhibits characteristics and functions typically associated with lncRNAs.
- This dual nature suggests a potential evolutionary transition from eRNA to lncRNA.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the hypothesis that lncRNAs can evolve from eRNAs.
- Bloodlinc serves as a model for understanding the evolutionary plasticity of ncRNAs.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the broader implications for ncRNA evolution and function.
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