Expression dynamics of long non-coding RNAs during imaginal disc development and regeneration inDrosophila

Abstract

The discovery of functional long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) changed their initial concept as transcriptional noise. LncRNAs have been found to participate in the regulation of multiple biological processes, including chromatin structure, gene expression, splicing, and mRNA degradation and translation. However, functional studies of lncRNAs are hindered by the usual lack of phenotypes upon deletion or inhibition. Here, we usedDrosophilaimaginal discs as a model system to identify lncRNAs involved in development and regeneration. We examined a subset of lncRNAs expressed in the wing, leg, and eye disc development. Additionally, we analyzed transcriptomic data from regenerating wing discs to profile the expression pattern of lncRNAs during tissue repair. We focused on the lncRNACR40469, which is upregulated during regeneration. We generatedCR40469mutant flies that developed normally but showed impaired wing regeneration upon the induction of cell death. The ability of these mutants to regenerate was restored by the ectopic expression ofCR40469. Furthermore, we found that the lncRNACR34335has a high degree of sequence similarity withCR40469and can partially compensate for its function during regeneration in the absence ofCR40469. Our findings point to a potential role of the lncRNACR40469intransduring the response to damage in the wing imaginal disc.