title: A large scale expression study associates uc.283-plus lncRNA with pluripotent stem cells and human glioma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are 481 ultra-conserved regions (UCRs) longer than 200 bases in the genomes of human, mouse and rat. These DNA sequences are absolutely conserved and show 100% identity with no insertions or deletions. About half of these UCRs are reported as transcribed and many correspond to long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs).
  
  
  METHODS
  We used custom microarrays with 962 probes representing sense and antisense sequences for the 481 UCRs to examine their expression across 374 normal samples from 46 different tissues and 510 samples representing 10 different types of cancer. The expression in embryonic stem cells of selected UCRs was validated by real time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified tissue selective UCRs and studied UCRs in embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. Among the normal tissues, the uc.283 lncRNA was highly specific for pluripotent stem cells. Intriguingly, the uc.283-plus lncRNA was highly expressed in some solid cancers, particularly in one of the most untreatable types, glioma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that uc.283-plus lncRNA might have a role in pluripotency of stem cells and in the biology of glioma.
authors.affiliation: Biosystems Analysis, LTTA, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, Ferrara, 44123 Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galasso
authors.affiliation: Biosystems Analysis, LTTA, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, Ferrara, 44123 Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dama
authors.affiliation: Biosystems Analysis, LTTA, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, Ferrara, 44123 Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Previati
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wexner Medical Center, and Biomedical Informatics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA.
authors.forename: Sukhinder
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sandhu
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wexner Medical Center, and Biomedical Informatics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palatini
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wexner Medical Center, and Biomedical Informatics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wexner Medical Center, and Biomedical Informatics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.affiliation: Biosystems Analysis, LTTA, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, Ferrara, 44123 Italy.
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sana
authors.affiliation: Biosystems Analysis, LTTA, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, Ferrara, 44123 Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zanella
authors.affiliation: Fate Therapeutics, 3535 General Atomics Ct, San Diego, CA 92121 USA.
authors.forename: Ramzey
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abujarour
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Desponts
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Teitell
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wexner Medical Center, and Biomedical Informatics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA.
authors.forename: Ramiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garzon
authors.affiliation: Experimental Therapeutics & Cancer Genetics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calin
authors.affiliation: Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wexner Medical Center, and Biomedical Informatics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA.
authors.forename: Carlo M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Croce
authors.affiliation: Biosystems Analysis, LTTA, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, Ferrara, 44123 Italy ; Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wexner Medical Center, and Biomedical Informatics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA ; Biomedical Informatics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Volinia