Comprehensive identification of micropeptides encoded by long noncoding RNAs in human tissues

Many poorly characterized long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) are expressed in human pancreas. Recently, a few lncRNAs have been found encode very small open reading frame, so‐called micropeptides. By regulating larger protein complex, these micropeptides have been shown to have important roles in fundamental biological processes such as muscle performance, mTORC1 activation and cell movement. To determine if any micropeptide play critical role for pancreas functions, we have took a bioinformatics approach to comprehensively analyze protein coding potential for lncRNAs expressed in human pancreas. We found more than 30 lncRNAs that are likely encode micropeptides. We have verified one conserved micropeptide, which we named Beta cell Glucose Regulated Micropeptide 1(BGRM1). We found BGRM1 regulate calcium homoeostasis and insulin secretion in beta cell. We have also performed mass spec to identify its binding proteins. Our result shows that some of lncRNA expressed in human pancreas might actually be translated as micropeptides and they play important roles for pancreas functions. We have also used the same pipeline to analysis lncRNA expressed in other organs. These results provides foundations for future comprehensive analysis of micropeptides functions. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .