The Dimensions, Dynamics, and Relevance of the Mammalian Noncoding Transcriptome

Ira W Deveson; Simon A Hardwick; Tim R Mercer; John S Mattick

doi:10.1016/j.tig.2017.04.004

The Dimensions, Dynamics, and Relevance of the Mammalian Noncoding Transcriptome

Trends Genet. 2017 Jul;33(7):464-478. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2017.04.004. Epub 2017 May 20.

Authors

Ira W Deveson¹, Simon A Hardwick², Tim R Mercer², John S Mattick³

Affiliations

¹ Genomics and Epigenetics Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
² Genomics and Epigenetics Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
³ Genomics and Epigenetics Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 28535931
DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2017.04.004

Abstract

The combination of pervasive transcription and prolific alternative splicing produces a mammalian transcriptome of great breadth and diversity. The majority of transcribed genomic bases are intronic, antisense, or intergenic to protein-coding genes, yielding a plethora of short and long non-protein-coding regulatory RNAs. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) share most aspects of their biogenesis, processing, and regulation with mRNAs. However, lncRNAs are typically expressed in more restricted patterns, frequently from enhancers, and exhibit almost universal alternative splicing. These features are consistent with their role as modular epigenetic regulators. We describe here the key studies and technological advances that have shaped our understanding of the dimensions, dynamics, and biological relevance of the mammalian noncoding transcriptome.

Keywords: RNA regulation; alternative splicing; long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs); pervasive transcription.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Alternative Splicing
Animals
Exons
Humans
RNA, Untranslated / genetics*
Transcriptome*

Substances

RNA, Untranslated