长链非编码RNA在肿瘤发生和天然免疫中的功能与调控机制

Function and regulation of long non-coding RNAs in tumorigenesis and host innate immunity-A review

长链非编码RNA(Long non-coding RNA,lncRNA)是长度大于200个核苷酸的不具有编码蛋白质能力的RNA分子。长链非编码RNA一度被认为是转录"噪音"。然而,近年来大量的实验证据表明长链非编码RNA通过表观遗传修饰与转录调控、转录后加工、翻译调控等多种机制,在细胞生命活动中发挥重要作用。lncRNA的异常表达和调控往往与肿瘤发生、宿主抗病原微生物感染的天然免疫应答密切相关,本文就这些方面研究进展进行综述。

Long non-coding RNA（ lncRNA） is a class of RNA transcripts with length over 200 nucleotides and absence of the ability to encode a functional protein. Although long non-coding RNAs were previously thought as transcriptional noises,increasing evidences have recently shown that they play important roles in a variety of cellular processes through regulating epigenetic modifications and thereby affecting gene transcription,post-transcriptional processing,and protein translation. Importantly,it has been found that abnormal expression or dysregulation of lncRNAs are closely associated with tumorigenesis and host innate immune response to various infections with pathogens. In this review,we will discuss the progresses in understanding the function of lncRNAs in these processes.