What are natural antisense transcripts good for?
NATs (natural antisense transcripts) are important regulators of eukaryotic gene expression. Interference between the expression of protein-coding sense transcripts and the corresponding NAT is well documented. In the present review, we focus on an additional, higher-order role of NATs that is currently emerging. The recent discovery of endogenous siRNAs (short interfering RNAs), as well as NAT-induced transcriptional gene silencing, are key to the proposed novel function of NATs.
Werner
Andreas
A
RNA Biology Group, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK. andreas.werner@ncl.ac.uk
Swan
Daniel
D
D000818:Animals; D016678:Genome / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology
D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger