Long Non-coding RNA Structure and Function: Is There a Link?
RNA has emerged as the prime target for diagnostics, therapeutics and the development of personalized medicine. In particular, the non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that do not encode proteins, display remarkable biochemical versatility. They can fold into complex structures and interact with proteins, DNA a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2018.01201/full |
| _version_ | 1818850505442459648 |
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| author | Anna Zampetaki Andreas Albrecht Kathleen Steinhofel |
| author_facet | Anna Zampetaki Andreas Albrecht Kathleen Steinhofel |
| author_sort | Anna Zampetaki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | RNA has emerged as the prime target for diagnostics, therapeutics and the development of personalized medicine. In particular, the non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that do not encode proteins, display remarkable biochemical versatility. They can fold into complex structures and interact with proteins, DNA and other RNAs, modulating the activity, DNA targets or partners of multiprotein complexes. Thus, ncRNAs confer regulatory plasticity and represent a new layer of epigenetic control that is dysregulated in disease. Intriguingly, for long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs, >200 nucleotides length) structural conservation rather than nucleotide sequence conservation seems to be crucial for maintaining their function. LncRNAs tend to acquire complex secondary and tertiary structures and their functions only impose very subtle sequence constraints. In the present review we will discuss the biochemical assays that can be employed to determine the lncRNA structural configurations. The implications and challenges of linking function and lncRNA structure to design novel RNA therapeutic approaches will also be analyzed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T06:50:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3b989be8cade4822961ea53bee7a87f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T06:50:12Z |
| publishDate | 2018-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-3b989be8cade4822961ea53bee7a87f82022-12-21T20:31:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2018-08-01910.3389/fphys.2018.01201405446Long Non-coding RNA Structure and Function: Is There a Link?Anna Zampetaki0Andreas Albrecht1Kathleen Steinhofel2King’s British Heart Foundation Centre, King’s College London, London, United KingdomFaculty of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London, United KingdomDepartment of Informatics, King’s College London, London, United KingdomRNA has emerged as the prime target for diagnostics, therapeutics and the development of personalized medicine. In particular, the non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that do not encode proteins, display remarkable biochemical versatility. They can fold into complex structures and interact with proteins, DNA and other RNAs, modulating the activity, DNA targets or partners of multiprotein complexes. Thus, ncRNAs confer regulatory plasticity and represent a new layer of epigenetic control that is dysregulated in disease. Intriguingly, for long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs, >200 nucleotides length) structural conservation rather than nucleotide sequence conservation seems to be crucial for maintaining their function. LncRNAs tend to acquire complex secondary and tertiary structures and their functions only impose very subtle sequence constraints. In the present review we will discuss the biochemical assays that can be employed to determine the lncRNA structural configurations. The implications and challenges of linking function and lncRNA structure to design novel RNA therapeutic approaches will also be analyzed.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2018.01201/fullnon-coding RNAlncRNARNA structuregene editingcardiovascular diseases |
| spellingShingle | Anna Zampetaki Andreas Albrecht Kathleen Steinhofel Long Non-coding RNA Structure and Function: Is There a Link? Frontiers in Physiology non-coding RNA lncRNA RNA structure gene editing cardiovascular diseases |
| title | Long Non-coding RNA Structure and Function: Is There a Link? |
| title_full | Long Non-coding RNA Structure and Function: Is There a Link? |
| title_fullStr | Long Non-coding RNA Structure and Function: Is There a Link? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long Non-coding RNA Structure and Function: Is There a Link? |
| title_short | Long Non-coding RNA Structure and Function: Is There a Link? |
| title_sort | long non coding rna structure and function is there a link |
| topic | non-coding RNA lncRNA RNA structure gene editing cardiovascular diseases |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2018.01201/full |
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