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Long Noncoding RNAs : Insights from Biological Features and Functions to Diseases
Author(s) -
Li Xiaolei,
Wu Zhiqiang,
Fu Xiaobing,
Han Weidong
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
medicinal research reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.868
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1098-1128
pISSN - 0198-6325
DOI - 10.1002/med.21254
Subject(s) - biology , computational biology , long non coding rna , small nucleolar rna , rna , transcriptome , genome , gene , microrna , regulation of gene expression , non coding rna , function (biology) , gene expression , genetics
Over the past decade, genome‐wide transcriptomic studies have shown that the mammalian genome is pervasively transcribed and produces many thousands of transcriptomes without bias from previous genome annotations. This finding, together with the discovery of a plethora of unexpected RNAs that have no obvious coding capacities, have challenged the traditional views that proteins are the main protagonists of cellular functions and that RNA is merely an intermediary between DNA sequence and its encoded protein. There are many different kinds of products that are generated by this pervasive transcription; this review focuses on long noncoding RNAs (lnc RNAs ) that have shown spatial and temporal specific patterns of expression and regulation in a wide variety of cells and tissues, adding significant complexity to the understanding of their biological roles. Recent research has shed new light onto the biological function significance of lnc RNAs . Here, we review the rapidly advancing field of lnc RNAs , describing their biological features and their roles in regulation of gene expression. Moreover, we highlight some recent advances in our understanding of nc RNA ‐mediated regulation of stem cell pluripotency, morphogenesis, and development, focusing mainly on the regulatory roles of lnc RNAs . Finally, we consider the potential medical implications, and the potential use of lnc RNAs in drug development and discovery and in the identification of molecular markers of diseases, including cancer.