Characteristics of Ｌong Non-coding RNA and Its Relationship to Colorectal Cancer Tumorigenesis and Clinical Implications / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

ABSTRACT

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that are more than 200 nucleotides in length, without protein-coding functions. More than 90% of the transcripts from the genome are ncRNA transcripts. LncRNAs have been determined to play unique roles in various biological processes with their specific structures and functions, and have emerged as a hot spot in gene-characteristics, function-identification, and biological process regulation. Previous work has confirmed that lncRNAs are involved in pathogenesis of clinical diseases, especially in tumorigenesis. In the postgenomics era, prevention, diagnosis and prognosis in certain diseases could be processed by detection on lncRNA expression alteration, phenotype changes and molecular mechanisms that are involved. Here, we defined lncRNAs, listed the strategies and methods of genetic identification, enumerated methods in spatial structure inspection and functional identification, and showed the classification of lncRNAs. Moreover, lncRNA participated in tumorigenesis. We took the most classic tumor suppressor p53 as an example, as p53-related lncRNAs are involved in colorectal cancer (CRC). We summarize the expression alterations, interaction molecules and signaling pathways of these lncRNAs Finally, the clinical application value of these lncRNAs are estimated. Collectively, lncRNAs may function as biomarkers, and will provide series of brand new, accurate and unique targets for diverse diseases including CRC.