《生命科学》 2012, 24(6): 543-548
摘 要：摘 要：人类基因组DNA核苷酸序列中约93%能被转录为RNA，其中仅2%的转录产物被翻译为蛋白质，余下98%属于非编码RNA(non-coding RNA， ncRNA)。ncRNA中长度超过200 nt的称为长链非编码RNA (long non-coding RNA， LncRNA)，长期以来LncRNA被认为是转录过程中的副产物而不具有生物学功能。近年随着微小RNA(microRNA， miRNA)的研究进展，揭示了ncRNA在人类基因转录后调节、细胞生长、分化、增殖中起着相当重要的作用。同时也提示，相比miRNA，在细胞内转录比例更高的LncRNA具有极其复杂而重要的生物学功能，并与人类疾病密切相关。结合LncRNA的表观遗传学功能及其病理生理意义作一简述。
关键词：真核生物；非编码RNA；长链非编码RNA；转录调控；表观遗传
Abstract: Abstract: Although 93% of human genome can be transcribed into RNAs， only 2% of these products can be translated into proteins. The rest of the 98% RNAs are called noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs)， which has been thought as non-functional by-products of transcription. But in recent years， the research on microRNAs (miRNAs) revealed that ncRNAs play important roles in the regulation of post-transcription of human genome， cell growth， cell differentiation and cell proliferation. The ncRNAs， more than 200 nucleotides， are called long-noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs). Studies of LncRNAs found that they are transcribed much more than that of miRNAs in cells， and they have more complex biological functions than miRNAs as well. There is increasing evidence to indicate that LncRNAs may be related to human diseases. This review mainly outlines the epigenetics function of LncRNA and its pathophysiological significance in brief.
Key words: eukaryote; non-coding RNA; long non-coding RNA; transcriptional control; epigenetics
