Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of RNA molecules that are changing how researchers view eukaryotic gene regulation. Once considered to be non-functional products of low-level aberrant transcription from non-coding regions of the genome, lncRNAs are now viewed as important epigenetic regulators and several lncRNAs have now been demonstrated to be critical players in the development and/or maintenance of cancer. Similarly, the emerging variety of interactions between lncRNAs and MYC, a well-known oncogenic transcription factor linked to most types of cancer, have caught the attention of many biomedical researchers. Investigations exploring the dynamic interactions between lncRNAs and MYC, referred to as the lncRNA-MYC network, have proven to be especially complex. Genome-wide studies have shown that MYC transcriptionally regulates many lncRNA genes. Conversely, recent reports identified lncRNAs that regulate MYC expression both at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. These findings are of particular interest because they suggest roles of lncRNAs as regulators of MYC oncogenic functions and the possibility that targeting lncRNAs could represent a novel avenue to cancer treatment. Here, we briefly review the current understanding of how lncRNAs regulate chromatin structure and gene transcription, and then focus on the new developments in the emerging field exploring the lncRNA-MYC network in cancer.
Highlights
In recent years, the investigations exploring the importance of how long non-coding RNAs influence epigenetic modifications and chromatin structure has truly been paradigm shifting in our fundamental understanding of how transcription is regulated in higher eukaryotes
It is not surprising that MYC would transcriptionally regulate many long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and it is especially interesting that MYC oncogenic functions could be mediated through the regulation of specific lncRNAs
Given the crucial role of MYC in many cancers, these findings suggest that MYC-regulated lncRNAs and lncRNAs that regulate MYC could be potential valuable targets in the treatment of many human cancers
Summary
The investigations exploring the importance of how long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) influence epigenetic modifications and chromatin structure has truly been paradigm shifting in our fundamental understanding of how transcription is regulated in higher eukaryotes. A topic of great interest has been how dysregulation of lncRNAs leads to the inappropriate epigenetic regulation of critical genes that are involved in the development and/or maintenance of cancer. Recent evidence suggests that MYC, a well-studied oncogenic transcription factor that is deregulated in most types of cancer and controls many cellular processes, including cell growth, metabolism, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis [2,3,4,5,6], is an important mediator in the transcription of lncRNAs [7,8]. We briefly discuss our current understanding of the basic features of lncRNAs and how they regulate the epigenetic landscape and focus on the emerging dynamic relationships between MYC and several lncRNAs as they pertain to cancer
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