Long non-coding RNAs: new players in cell differentiation and development

A Fatica, I Bozzoni - Nature Reviews Genetics, 2014 - nature.com
A Fatica, I Bozzoni
Nature Reviews Genetics, 2014nature.com
Genomes of multicellular organisms are characterized by the pervasive expression of
different types of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) belong to a novel
heterogeneous class of ncRNAs that includes thousands of different species. lncRNAs have
crucial roles in gene expression control during both developmental and differentiation
processes, and the number of lncRNA species increases in genomes of developmentally
complex organisms, which highlights the importance of RNA-based levels of control in the …
Abstract
Genomes of multicellular organisms are characterized by the pervasive expression of different types of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) belong to a novel heterogeneous class of ncRNAs that includes thousands of different species. lncRNAs have crucial roles in gene expression control during both developmental and differentiation processes, and the number of lncRNA species increases in genomes of developmentally complex organisms, which highlights the importance of RNA-based levels of control in the evolution of multicellular organisms. In this Review, we describe the function of lncRNAs in developmental processes, such as in dosage compensation, genomic imprinting, cell differentiation and organogenesis, with a particular emphasis on mammalian development.
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