RNA structure probing uncovers RNA structure-dependent biological functions

In addition to membrane-bound organelles, eukaryotic cells feature various membraneless compartments, including the centrosome, the nucleolus and various granules. Many of these compartments form through liquid–liquid phase separation, and the principles, mechanisms and regulation of their assembly as well as their cellular functions are now beginning to emerge.

Long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) regulate chromatin states and epigenetic inheritance. Here, we show that the lincRNA HOTAIR serves as a scaffold for at least two distinct histone modification complexes. A 5' domain of HOTAIR binds polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), whereas a 3' domain of HOTAIR binds the LSD1/CoREST/REST complex. The ability to tether two distinct complexes enables RNA-mediated assembly of PRC2 and LSD1 and coordinates targeting of PRC2 and LSD1 to chromatin for coupled histone H3 lysine 27 methylation and lysine 4 demethylation. Our results suggest that lincRNAs may serve as scaffolds by providing binding surfaces to assemble select histone modification enzymes, thereby specifying the pattern of histone modifications on target genes.

Over the last decade, it has been increasingly demonstrated that the genomes of many species are pervasively transcribed, resulting in the production of numerous long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). At the same time, it is now appreciated that many types of DNA regulatory elements, such as enhancers and promoters, regularly initiate bidirectional transcription. Thus, discerning functional noncoding transcripts from a vast transcriptome is a paramount priority, and challenge, for the lncRNA field. In this review, we aim to provide a conceptual and experimental framework for classifying and elucidating lncRNA function. We categorize lncRNA loci into those that regulate gene expression in cis versus those that perform functions in trans , and propose an experimental approach to dissect lncRNA activity based on these classifications. These strategies to further understand lncRNAs promise to reveal new and unanticipated biology, with great potential to advance our understanding of normal physiology and disease.