• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.25.1-25.5
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• 2018

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death and disability all around the world. Recent studies have revealed that aberrantly regulated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) as one of the main classes of cellular transcript plays a key regulatory role in transcriptional and epigenetic pathways. Recent reports have demonstrated that circulating lncRNAs in the blood can be potential biomarkers for CAD. HOTAIR is one of the most cited lncRNAs with a critical role in the initiation and progression of the gene expression regulation. Recent research on the role of the HOTAIR in cardiovascular disease lays the basis for the development of new studies considering this lncRNA as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in CAD. In this study, we aimed to compare the expression of HOTAIR lncRNA in the blood samples of patients with CAD and control samples. The expression level was examined by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction technique. Our data shows that expression of HOTAIR is up-regulated in blood samples of patients with CAD.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.5993-5997
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• 2014

The discovery of long noncoding RNA (LncRNA) changes our view of transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. With application of new research techniques such as high-throughput sequencing, the biological functions of LncRNAs are gradually becoming to be understood. Multiple studies have shown that LncRNAs serve as carcinogenic factors or tumor suppressors in breast cancer with abnormal expression, prompts the question of whether they have potential value in predicting the stages and survival rate of breast cancer patients, and also as therapeutic targets. Focusing on the latest research data, this review mainly summarizes the tumorigenic mechanisms of certain LncRNAs in breast cancer, in order to provide a theoretical basis for finding safer, more effective treatment of breast cancer at the LncRNA molecular level.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.280-289
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• 2018

Previously considered as a component of transcriptional noise, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were neglected as a therapeutic target, however, recently increasing evidence has shown that lncRNAs can participate in numerous biological processes involved in genetic regulation including epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional regulation. In this review, we discuss the fundamental functions of lncRNAs at different regulatory levels and their roles in metabolic balance. Typical examples are introduced to illustrate their diverse molecular mechanisms. The comprehensive investigation and identification of key lncRNAs will not only contribute to insights into diseases, such as breast cancer and type II diabetes, but also provide promising therapeutic targets for related diseases.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.1089-1099
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• 2021

With the development of sequencing technology, numerous, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been discovered and annotated. Increasing evidence has shown that lncRNAs play an essential role in regulating many biological and pathological processes, especially in cancer. However, there have been few studies on the roles of lncRNAs in livestock production. In animal products, meat quality and lean percentage are vital economic traits closely related to adipose tissue deposition. However, adipose tissue accumulation is also a pivotal contributor to obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and many other diseases, as demonstrated by human studies. In livestock production, the mechanism by which lncRNAs regulate adipose tissue deposition is still unclear. In addition, the phenomenon that different animal species have different adipose tissue accumulation abilities is not well understood. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of lncRNAs and their four functional archetypes and review the current knowledge about lncRNA functions in adipose tissue deposition in livestock species. This review could provide theoretical significance to explore the functional mechanisms of lncRNAs in adipose tissue accumulation in animals.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.140-145
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• 2016

Genes in multicellular organisms are transcribed in development, differentiation, or tissue-specific manners. The transcription of genes is activated by enhancers, which are transcription regulatory elements located at long distances from the genes. Recent studies have reported that noncoding RNAs are transcribed from active enhancers by RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II); these are called enhancer RNAs (eRNAs). eRNAs are transcribed bi-directionally from the enhancer core, and are capped on the 5’ end but not spliced or polyadenylated on the 3’ end. The transcription of eRNAs requires the binding of transcription activators on the enhancer and associates positively with the transcription of the target gene. The transcriptional inhibition of eRNAs or the removal of eRNA transcripts results in the transcriptional repression of the coding gene. The transcriptional procedure of eRNAs causes enhancer- specific histone modifications, such as histone H3K4me1/2. eRNA transcripts directly interact with Mediator and Rad21, a cohesin subunit, generating a chromatin loop structure between the enhancer and the promoter of the target gene. The recruitment of RNA Pol II into the promoter and its elongation through the coding region are facilitated by eRNAs. Here, we will review the features of eRNAs, and discuss the mechanism of eRNA transcription and the roles of eRNAs in the transcriptional activation of target genes.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.71.1-71.12
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• 2023

With the growing interest in companion animals and the rapidly expanding animal healthcare and pharmaceuticals market worldwide. With the advancements in RNAsequencing (RNA-seq) technology, it has become a valuable tool for understanding biological processes in companion animals and has multiple applications in animal healthcare. Historically, veterinary diagnoses and treatments relied solely on clinical symptoms and drugs used in human diseases. However, RNA-seq has emerged as an effective technology for studying companion animals, providing insights into their genetic information. The sequencing technology has revealed that not only messenger RNAs (mRNAs) but also noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as long ncRNAs and microRNAs can serve as biomarkers. Based on the examination of RNA-seq applications in veterinary medicine, particularly in dogs and cats, this review concludes that RNA-seq has significant potential as a diagnostic and research tool. It has enabled the identification of potential biomarkers for cancer and other diseases in companion animals. Further research and development are required to maximize the utilization of RNA-seq for improved disease diagnosis and therapeutic targeting in companion animals.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.12
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• pp.613-622
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• 2018

RNA helicases DDX5 and DDX17 are multitasking proteins that regulate gene expression in different biological contexts through diverse activities. Special attention has long been paid to their function as coregulators of transcription factors, providing insight about their functional association with a number of chromatin modifiers and remodelers. However, to date, the variety of described mechanisms has made it difficult to understand precisely how these proteins work at the molecular level, and the contribution of their ATPase domain to these mechanisms remains unclear as well. In light of their association with long noncoding RNAs that are key epigenetic regulators, an emerging view is that DDX5 and DDX17 may act through modulating the activity of various ribonucleoprotein complexes that could ensure their targeting to specific chromatin loci. This review will comprehensively describe the current knowledge on these different mechanisms. We will also discuss the potential roles of DDX5 and DDX17 on the 3D chromatin organization and how these could impact gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.1739-1748
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• 2021

Objective: In recent years, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified in many species, and some of them have been shown to play important roles in muscle development and myogenesis. However, the differences in lncRNAs between Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle remain undefined; therefore, we aimed to confirm whether lncRNAs are differentially expressed in the longissimus dorsi between these two types of cattle and whether differentially expressed lncRNAs regulate muscle differentiation. Methods: We used RNA-seq technology to identify lncRNAs in longissimus muscles from these cattle. The expression of lncRNAs were analyzed using StringTie (1.3.1) in terms of the fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads values of the encoding genes. The differential expression of the transcripts in the two samples were analyzed using the DESeq R software package. The resulting false discovery rate was controlled by the Benjamini and Hochberg's approach. KOBAS software was utilized to measure the expression of different genes in Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways. We randomly selected eight lncRNA genes and validated them by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results: We found that 182 lncRNA transcripts, including 102 upregulated and 80 downregulated transcripts, were differentially expressed between Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle. The results of RT-qPCR were consistent with the sequencing results. Enrichment analysis and functional annotation of the target genes revealed that the differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with the mitogen-activated protein kinase, Ras, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3k)/Akt signaling pathways. We also constructed a lncRNA/mRNA coexpression network for the PI3k/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion: Our study provides insights into cattle muscle-associated lncRNAs and will contribute to a more thorough understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying muscle growth and development in cattle.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1097-1104
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• 2016

With the development of next generation sequencing (NGS), large numbers of transcriptional molecules have been discovered. Most transcripts are non -coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Among them, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with more than 200 nucleotides represent functional RNA molecule that will not be translated into protein. In plants, lncRNAs are transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) or Pol III, Pol VI and Pol V. After transcription of these lncRNAs, more RNA processing mechanisms such as splicing and polyadenylation occurs. The expression of plant lncRNAs is very low and is tissue specific. However, these lncRNAs are strongly induced by specific external stimuli. Because different external stimuli including environmental stresses induce a large number of plant lncRNAs, these lncRNAs have been gradually considered as new regulatory factors of various biological and development processes such as epigenetic repression, chromatin modification, target mimicry, photomorphogenesis, protein relocalization, environmental stress response, pathogen infection in plants. Moreover, some lncRNAs act as precursor of short RNAs. Although a large number of lncRNAs have been predicted and identified in plants, our current understanding of the biological function of these lncRNAs is still limited and their detailed regulatory mechanisms should be elucidated continuously. Here, we reviewed the biogenesis and regulation mechanisms of lncRNAs and summarized the molecular functions unraveled in plants.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.2851-2855
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• 2015

Background: Recent reports have shown that nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1), a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), contributes to the precise control of gene expression and is related to several human malignancies. However, limited data are available on the expression and function of NEAT1 in lung cancer. The major objective of the current study was to profile the expression and clinicopathological significance of NEAT1 in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Materials and Methods: NEAT1 expression in 125 NSCLC cases and paired adjacent non-cancer tissues was assessed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). Relationships between NEAT1 and clinicopathological factors were also investigated. Results: The relative level of NEAT1 was $6.98{\pm}3.74$ in NSCLC tissues, significantly elevated as compared to that of the adjacent non-cancer lung tissues ($4.83{\pm}2.98$, p<0.001). The area under curve (AUC) of high expression of NEAT1 to diagnose NSCLC was 0.684 (95% CI: 0.619~0.750, p<0.001). NEAT1 expression was positively correlated with patient age (r=-2.007, p=0.047), lymphatic metastasis (r=-2.731, p=0.007), vascular invasion (r=-3.617, p=0.001) and clinical TNM stage (r=-4.134, p<0.001). Conclusions: This study indicates that NEAT1 might be associated with oncogenesis and progression in NSCLC, and suggests application in molecular targeted therapy.