Plant Long ncRNAs: A New Frontier for Gene Regulatory Control

Babi R Nallamilli,Yuxuan Hou,Zhaohua Peng,Jian Zhang,Hana Mujahid

doi:10.4236/ajps.2013.45128

Abstract

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) refers to an over 200 nt functional RNA molecule that will not be translated into protein. Previously thought to be dark matters of the genome, lncRNAs have been gradually recognized as crucial gene regulators. Although tremendous progress has been made in animals and human, the study of lncRNAs in plant is still in its infancy. Here, we reviewed the biogenesis and regulation mechanisms of lncRNAs and summarized the achievements that have been made in plant lncRNA identification and functional characterization. Genome-wide identification has uncovered large amount of lncRNAs in Arabidopsis, Rice, Maize and Wheat, and more information from other plant species will be expected with the aid of deep sequencing technologies. Similar to other species, LncRNA-mediated gene regulation also widely exists in plants, even though only a few functionally characterized examples are available. Up to now, at least four divergent lncRNA-mediated regulation mechanisms have been unraveled, including target mimicry, transcription interference, PRC2 associated histone methylation and DNA methylation. lncRNAs may be involved in the regulation of flowering, male sterility, nutrition metabolism, biotic and abiotic stress response in plants.

Highlights

Classic central dogma indicates a flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein
Long non-coding RNA refers to an over 200 nt functional RNA molecule that will not be translated into protein
Similar to other species, LncRNAmediated gene regulation widely exists in plants, even though only a few functionally characterized examples are available

Summary

Introduction

Classic central dogma indicates a flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein. RNA molecules are the only messengers that pass information from DNA to protein, which decides the cellular function and phenotype. With the discovery of non-coding RNAs in the past decades, the classic central dogma has been greatly extended to encompass the developing roles of RNAs. A non-coding RNA (ncRNA) is a functional RNA molecule that is not translated into protein. Transcriptomic analyses by whole genome tiling arrays or transcriptome sequencing have revealed that 70% - 90% of the mammalian genome is transcriptionally active, but only 1% - 2% code for proteins, suggesting that a large proportion of mammalian RNAs are ncRNAs [1,2,3]. The regulatory function of lncRNA, which takes 80% of the ncRNAs, largely remains unknown

Biogenesis and Regulation Mechanism of lncRNA

Epigenetic Regulation of Genes by Polycomb Associated LncRNAs

Findings

Conclusions and Perspectives