Title:
Roles of noncoding RNAs in cancer and immune response

 

Nobuyoshi Akimitsu
Isotope Science Center, the University of Tokyo

 

Abstract:
Whole transcriptome analyses have revealed that novel classes of non-protein-coding transcripts, designated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), were pervasively transcribed from mammalian genome. Recent researches show that understanding of noncoding RNA functions is important issue to reveal diverse biological functions of higher organisms. In addition, it has been reported that noncoding RNAs involve various diseases including cancer, neuronal diseases, and infections. In this seminar, I will introduce molecular functions of short and long noncoding RNAs in cancer and immune responses. Especially, I will present recent progresses of nuclear-retained long noncoding RNAs in mammalian cells. For instance, I will show roles of nuclear long noncoding RNA in innate immune response in mammalian cells by presenting the functional analysis of NEAT1 long noncoding RNA that regulates the expression of IL8 mRNA through interaction with transcriptional repressor, SFPQ upon viral infection.

 

References:
1. Imamura K., et al., Long noncoding RNA NEAT1-dependent SFPQ relocation between nuclear body paraspeckle and promoter mediates IL8 expression in response to immune stimuli. Mol. Cell, 53, 393-406. (2014)

2. Tani H., et al., Genome-wide determination of RNA stability reveals hundreds of short-lived non-coding transcripts in mammals, Genome Res., 22, 947-956. (2012)