Chromatin Regulation at Parental Gene Promoters by Pseudogene Sense lncRNAs

There is accumulating evidence that pseudogenes can produce functionally relevant lncRNAs in a tightly controlled manner. This class of transcripts has been demonstrated to play an important role in development and disease, by controlling parental gene expression. Classically, pseudogene derived lncRNAs compete with parental transcripts for miRNAs or factors that control parental mRNA metabolisms. Recently, pseudogene lncRNAs were demonstrated to take over the control of classic chromatin modifying enzymes and alter parental gene promoter activity or genome wide gene expression. Here, we discuss a new mechanism of parental gene expression controlled by the mOct4P4 lncRNA, a sense transcript derived from the murine Oct4 pseudogene 4. mOct4P4 lncRNA specifically interacts with the RNA binding protein FUS and the Histone Methyltransferase SUV39H1 to target heterochromatin formation at the parental Oct4 promoter in trans. In addition, we will address key issues for the functional dissection of epigenetic control of parental gene promoters by pseudogene lncRNAs.