LFHM: Long non-coding RNAs with enhancer-like function

• University City Keystone Innovation Zone
• University City Science Center

While long non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) constitute a large portion of the mammalian transcriptome, their biological functions have remained elusive.  The few long ncRNAs that have been studied in detail silence gene expression in processes such as X inactivation and imprinting.  Using a GENCODE annotation of the human genome, we characterize over a thousand long ncRNAs that are expressed in multiple cell lines.  To our surprise, we find enhancer-like function for a set of these RNAs.  Depletion of a number of ncRNAs leads to decreased expression of their neighboring protein-coding genes, including the master regulator of hematopoiesis, SCL (also called TAL1), Snai1 and Snai2.  Using heterologous transcription assays, we demonstrate a requirement for the ncRNAs in mediating such enhancement of gene expression. These results reveal a role for a class of long ncRNAs in activation of critical regulators of development and differentiation.

Speaker: 
Herbert Kean Family Professor
Gene Expression and Regulation Program 
The Wistar Institute