A non-coding RNA from within a gene regulates the cell’s protein factory
A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals a novel function for a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) derived from a protein-coding gene. This lncRNA, generated through a process called intronic polyadenylation, was found to be essential for maintaining the structure and function of the nucleolus, the cellular compartment responsible for ribosome assembly. The work challenges the traditional binary classification of the genome into strictly coding and non-coding regions, demonstrating that functional non-coding variants can originate from within genes previously thought to only produce proteins.
Why it might matter to you: This finding directly impacts the interpretation of genetic variation in both research and clinical genomics. It suggests that mutations in intronic regions of protein-coding genes, often dismissed as non-functional, could disrupt vital regulatory lncRNAs and contribute to disease. For professionals in genetics and functional genomics, it underscores the need to expand variant analysis beyond exons and canonical splice sites to fully understand the regulatory complexity embedded in the human genome.
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