Studies from the past few years have shown a role for long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating a range of physiological processes. Two studies now report a role for lncRNAs in the immune system. Rapicavoli et al. describe the induction of Lethe, a pseudogene lncRNA, by tumour necrosis factor and interleukin-1β. Lethe negatively regulates nuclear factor-κB signalling by binding directly to RELA. Lethe expression decreases with age, which might be associated with a decreased ability to control the inflammatory response. Carpenter et al. describe the induction of lincRNA-Cox2 downstream of Toll-like receptor signalling, which mediates the activation and repression of distinct sets of immune target genes. Transcriptional repression involves the interaction of lincRNA-Cox2 with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins.
References
Rapicavoli, N. A. et al. A mammalian pseudogene lncRNA at the interface of inflammation and anti-inflammatory therapeutics. eLIFE 2, e00762 (2013)
Carpenter, S. et al. A long noncoding RNA mediates both activation and repression of immune response genes. Science http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1240925 (2013)
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Minton, K. Long non-coding RNAs in the immune system. Nat Rev Immunol 13, 617 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri3530
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nri3530
