New Small Nuclear RNA Gene-Like Transcriptional Units as Sources of Regulatory Transcripts

Aldo Pagano,Giorgio Dieci,Ranieri Cancedda,Federico Tortelli,Roberto Ferrari,Manuele Castelnuovo,Lisa Stubbs

doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.0030001

Aldo Pagano, Giorgio Dieci + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.0030001

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Abstract

By means of a computer search for upstream promoter elements (distal sequence element and proximal sequence element) typical of small nuclear RNA genes, we have identified in the human genome a number of previously unrecognized, putative transcription units whose predicted products are novel noncoding RNAs with homology to protein-coding genes. By elucidating the function of one of them, we provide evidence for the existence of a sense/antisense-based gene-regulation network where part of the polymerase III transcriptome could control its polymerase II counterpart.

Highlights

Recent advances in mammalian genome studies are bringing to light the occurrence of a widespread transcription of noncoding regions devoted to the regulation of the protein coding genome expression [1,2,3,4]
In this context a prominent role is played by the enlarging family of microRNAs that act at a posttranscriptional level by inhibiting the translation of protein-coding genes [6]
After the sequence of the human genome was determined, it was immediately recognized that a large part of the regulation of the gene expression occurring in the cells under physiological, as well as under pathological conditions, is carried out by RNA molecules that do not code for proteins

Summary

Introduction

Recent advances in mammalian genome studies are bringing to light the occurrence of a widespread transcription of noncoding (nc) regions devoted to the regulation of the protein coding genome expression [1,2,3,4]. The simultaneous occurrence of cis- and trans-regulatory elements brings to light the complexity of this network where the coexistence of different ncRNAs plays a key role in the control of other target gene expression [5]. In this context a prominent role is played by the enlarging family of microRNAs (miRNAs) that act at a posttranscriptional level by inhibiting the translation of protein-coding genes [6].

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Conclusions

Findings

Materials and Methods