Insights into the Functions of LncRNAs in <i>Drosophila</i>

oleh: Keqin Li, Yuanliangzi Tian, Ya Yuan, Xiaolan Fan, Mingyao Yang, Zhi He, Deying Yang

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2019-09-01

Deskripsi

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs longer than 200 nucleotides (nt). LncRNAs have high spatiotemporal specificity, and secondary structures have been preserved throughout evolution. They have been implicated in a range of biological processes and diseases and are emerging as key regulators of gene expression at the epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional levels. Comparative analyses of lncRNA functions among multiple organisms have suggested that some of their mechanisms seem to be conserved. Transcriptome studies have found that some <i>Drosophila</i> lncRNAs have highly specific expression patterns in embryos, nerves, and gonads. In vivo studies of lncRNAs have revealed that dysregulated expression of lncRNAs in <i>Drosophila</i> may result in impaired embryo development, impaired neurological and gonadal functions, and poor stress resistance. In this review, we summarize the epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional mechanisms of lncRNAs and mainly focus on recent insights into the transcriptome studies and biological functions of lncRNAs in <i>Drosophila</i>.