Understanding the Role of Long Noncoding RNAs in the Cancer Genome

Abstract

The secrets of long noncoding RNAs, like other noncoding RNAs that are often referred to as the “dark matter” of the genome, are gradually coming to light. Knowledge from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements project revealed that greater than 70 % of the genome is actively transcribed and thousands of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) transcripts, which are greater than 200 base pairs without protein-coding potential, have been annotated. Increasing evidence shows that lncRNAs play crucial roles in development, stem cell pluripotency, differentiation, cell-cycle control, and diseases including cancer. The molecular actions of lncRNAs are involved in regulation of gene expression, interaction with chromatin-modifying complexes, and DNA–RNA–protein hybrid. In this chapter, we introduce the biogenesis of lncRNAs, their functionality and mechanisms of action, and strategies for discovery of lncRNAs and highlight the functional role of lncRNAs in cancer development. We briefly discuss our own work with lncRNAs. Our aim is to pinpoint the complex and diverse functions of these enigmatic molecules in cancer biology and expand our understanding of the cancer initiatome.