title: Making sense of Dlx1 antisense RNA.
abstract: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recently recognized as a major class of regulators in mammalian systems. LncRNAs function by diverse and heterogeneous mechanisms in gene regulation, and are key contributors to development, neurological disorders, and cancer. This emerging importance of lncRNAs, along with recent reports of a functional lncRNA encoded by the mouse Dlx5-Dlx6 locus, led us to interrogate the biological significance of another distal-less antisense lncRNA, the previously uncharacterized Dlx1 antisense (Dlx1as) transcript. We have functionally ablated this antisense RNA via a highly customized gene targeting approach in vivo. Mice devoid of Dlx1as RNA are viable and fertile, and display a mild skeletal and neurological phenotype reminiscent of a Dlx1 gain-of function phenotype, suggesting a role for this non-coding antisense RNA in modulating Dlx1 transcript levels and stability. The reciprocal relationship between Dlx1as and Dlx1 places this sense-antisense pair into a growing class of mammalian lncRNA-mRNA pairs characterized by inverse regulation.
authors: Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672, Singapore.
authors: Petra
authors: P
authors: Kraus
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Sivakamasundari
authors: Siew Lan
authors: SL
authors: Lim
authors: Xing
authors: X
authors: Xing
authors: Leonard
authors: L
authors: Lipovich
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Lufkin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D018390:Gene Targeting; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008957:Models, Genetic; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics*; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; C088334:Distal-less homeobox proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors