An Emerging Role for Long Non-Coding RNA Dysregulation in Neurological Disorders

Abstract

A novel class of transcripts, long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs), has recently emerged as key players in several biological processes, including dosage compensation, genomic imprinting, chromatin regulation, embryonic development and segmentation, stem cell pluripotency, cell fate determination and potentially many other biological processes, which still are to be elucidated. LncRNAs are pervasively transcribed in the genome and several lines of evidence correlate dysregulation of different lncRNAs to human diseases including neurological disorders. Although their mechanisms of action are yet to be fully elucidated, evidence suggests lncRNA contributions to the pathogenesis of a number of diseases. In this review, the current state of knowledge linking lncRNAs to different neurological disorders is discussed and potential future directions are considered.

Altered Expression of Long Noncoding RNAs in Blood After Ischemic Stroke and Proximity to Putative Stroke Risk Loci

“…Long noncoding RNAs have been studied in neurological disorders 42 , cardiovascular disease 19 and rodent stroke models 43 . LncRNA are of interest because they affect mRNA expression in many ways including DNA methylation 44 .…”

RNA sequencing reveals a key role for the long non-coding RNA MIAT in regulating neuroblastoma and glioblastoma cell fate

“…In addition, MIAT is polyadenylated at the 3' end and has at least 4 and 10 alternatively spliced variants for human and mouse, respectively [12], [16]. MIAT is thought to participate in pre-mRNA splicing through its binding to splicing factor 1 (SF1), although this interaction is not essential for the localisation of MIAT [19], as well as various cancers, including CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukaemia) and DLBL (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) [20].…”

The link between long noncoding RNAs and depression

“…Accumulating evidence showed that lncRNAs with a large number and diversity play an important regulator role in brain functions (Guennewig and Cooper, 2014). LncRNAs are highly expressed in the central nervous system, affecting neural stem cell maintenance, neurogenesis and gliogenesis, brain patterning, synaptic and stress responses, neural plasticity and cognitive function (Fenoglio et al, 2013;Fatica and Bozzoni, 2014;Spadaro and Bredy, 2012). For example, lncRNA brain cytoplasmic (BC1) is one of the first lncRNA characterized in the brain, is now known to regulate metabotropic receptor signaling (Centonze et al, 2007).…”