From Discovery to Function: The Expanding Roles of Long NonCoding RNAs in Physiology and Disease

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a relatively poorly understood class of RNAs with little or no coding capacity transcribed from a set of incompletely annotated genes. They have received considerable attention in the past few years and are emerging as potentially important players in biological reg...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Endocrine reviews 2015-02, Vol.36 (1), p.25-64
Main Authors: Sun, Miao, Kraus, W. Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adipogenesis - genetics
Biological properties
Cancer
Cytoplasm
Disease control
Endocrine Glands
Endocrinology
Epigenetics
Gene Expression
Gene Expression Regulation
Gene Library
Gene regulation
Humans
Immune System
Immunology
Metabolic Diseases - genetics
Molecular modelling
Muscle, Skeletal
Neoplasms - genetics
Nervous System
Neurosciences
Non-coding RNA
Physical properties
Physiology
Post-transcription
Reviews
RNA, Long Noncoding
RNA, Messenger - analysis
RNA, Untranslated - genetics
RNA, Untranslated - physiology
RNA, Untranslated - therapeutic use
Transcriptome
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Summary:Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a relatively poorly understood class of RNAs with little or no coding capacity transcribed from a set of incompletely annotated genes. They have received considerable attention in the past few years and are emerging as potentially important players in biological regulation. Here we discuss the evolving understanding of this new class of molecular regulators that has emerged from ongoing research, which continues to expand our databases of annotated lncRNAs and provide new insights into their physical properties, molecular mechanisms of action, and biological functions. We outline the current strategies and approaches that have been employed to identify and characterize lncRNAs, which have been instrumental in revealing their multifaceted roles ranging from cis- to trans-regulation of gene expression and from epigenetic modulation in the nucleus to posttranscriptional control in the cytoplasm. In addition, we highlight the molecular and biological functions of some of the best characterized lncRNAs in physiology and disease, especially those relevant to endocrinology, reproduction, metabolism, immunology, neurobiology, muscle biology, and cancer. Finally, we discuss the tremendous diagnostic and therapeutic potential of lncRNAs in cancer and other diseases.
ISSN:0163-769X
1945-7189
DOI:10.1210/er.2014-1034