Title:Long Non-Coding RNAs As Epigenetic Regulators in Cancer
Volume: 25
Issue: 33
Author(s): Asma Vafadar, Zahra Shabaninejad, Ahmad Movahedpour, Soheila Mohammadi, Sima Fathullahzadeh, Hamid R. Mirzaei, Afshin Namdar, Amir Savardashtaki*Hamed Mirzaei*
Affiliation:
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz,Iran
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan,Iran
Keywords:
Long non-coding RNAs, cancer, epigenetics, mammalian transcriptome, cell cycle regulation, genomic imprinting.
Abstract: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute large portions of the mammalian transcriptome which
appeared as a fundamental player, regulating various cellular mechanisms. LncRNAs do not encode proteins,
have mRNA-like transcripts and frequently processed similar to the mRNAs. Many investigations have determined
that lncRNAs interact with DNA, RNA molecules or proteins and play a significant regulatory function in
several biological processes, such as genomic imprinting, epigenetic regulation, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis,
and differentiation. LncRNAs can modulate gene expression on three levels: chromatin remodeling, transcription,
and post-transcriptional processing. The majority of the identified lncRNAs seem to be transcribed by the RNA
polymerase II. Recent evidence has illustrated that dysregulation of lncRNAs can lead to many human diseases,
in particular, cancer. The aberrant expression of lncRNAs in malignancies contributes to the dysregulation of
proliferation and differentiation process. Consequently, lncRNAs can be useful to the diagnosis, treatment, and
prognosis, and have been characterized as potential cancer markers as well. In this review, we highlighted the role
and molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs and their correlation with some of the cancers.