title: Mechanisms of long noncoding RNA function in development and disease.
abstract: Since decades it has been known that non-protein-coding RNAs have important cellular functions. Deep sequencing recently facilitated the discovery of thousands of novel transcripts, now classified as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), in many vertebrate and invertebrate species. LncRNAs are involved in a wide range of cellular mechanisms, from almost all aspects of gene expression to protein translation and stability. Recent findings implicate lncRNAs as key players of cellular differentiation, cell lineage choice, organogenesis and tissue homeostasis. Moreover, lncRNAs are involved in pathological conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, and therefore provide novel biomarkers and pharmaceutical targets. Here we discuss examples illustrating the versatility of lncRNAs in gene control, development and differentiation, as well as in human disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestr. 63-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany. sschmitz@molgen.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Sandra U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Center for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grote
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Ihnestr. 63-73, 14195, Berlin, Germany. herrmann@molgen.mpg.de.|Institute for Medical Genetics, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charite-University Medicine Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany. herrmann@molgen.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Bernhard G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Herrmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D042421:Histone Code; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding
keywords: Cancer; Cardiovascular disease; Chromatin; Differentiation; Epigenetics; Gene regulation; Genome organization; LncRNA