title: Dynamic transcription of long non-coding RNA genes during CD4+ T cell development and activation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent evidence shows that long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) play important regulatory roles in many biology process, including cell development, activation and oncogenesis. However, the roles of these LncRNAs in the development and activation of CD4+ T cells, which is an important component of immune response, remain unknown.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To predict the function of LncRNA in the development and activation of CD4+ T cells, first, we examined the expression profiles of LncRNAs and mRNAs in CD4-CD8- (DN), CD4+CD8+ (DP), CD4+CD8-, and activated CD4+CD8- T cells in a microarray analysis and verified these results by real time PCRs (qPCR). We found that the expression of hundreds of LncRNAs significantly changed in each process of developmental transition, including DN into DP, DP into CD4+CD8-, and CD4+CD8- into activated CD4+ T cells. A Kendall distance analysis suggested that the expression of LncRNAs in DN, DP, CD4+CD8- T cells and activated CD4+ T cells were correlated with the expression of mRNAs in these T cells. The Blat algorithm and GO analysis suggested that LncRNAs may exert important roles in the development and activation of CD4+ T cells. These roles included proliferation, homeostasis, maturation, activation, migration, apoptosis and calcium ion transportation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study found that the expression profiles of LncRNAs in different stages of CD4+ T cells are distinguishable. LncRNAs are involved in the key biological process in CD4+ T cell development and activation.
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fulu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Anfei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Sidong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jinping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D012333:RNA, Messenger