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Natural antisense transcripts as versatile regulators of gene expression

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Andreas Werner

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Abstract

© Springer Nature Limited 2024.Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as a major class of gene products that have central roles in cell and developmental biology. Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) are an important subset of lncRNAs that are expressed from the opposite strand of protein-coding and non-coding genes and are a genome-wide phenomenon in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. In eukaryotes, a myriad of NATs participate in regulatory pathways that affect expression of their cognate sense genes. Recent developments in the study of NATs and lncRNAs and large-scale sequencing and bioinformatics projects suggest that whether NATs regulate expression, splicing, stability or translation of the sense transcript is influenced by the pattern and degrees of overlap between the sense–antisense pair. Moreover, epigenetic gene regulatory mechanisms prevail in somatic cells whereas mechanisms dependent on the formation of double-stranded RNA intermediates are prevalent in germ cells. The modulating effects of NATs on sense transcript expression make NATs rational targets for therapeutic interventions.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Werner A, Kanhere A, Wahlestedt C, Mattick JS

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Nature Reviews Genetics

Year: 2024

Pages: epub ahead of print

Online publication date: 17/04/2024

Acceptance date: 07/03/2024

ISSN (print): 1471-0056

ISSN (electronic): 1471-0064

Publisher: Nature Research

URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41576-024-00723-z

DOI: 10.1038/s41576-024-00723-z

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