长链非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA,lncRNA)是一类广泛存在于动植物体内、长度大于200nt、基本不编码蛋白质的转录本。研究表明,lncRNA能够协助蛋白质复合体转运、参与基因和染色体的激活与失活调控等,在胚胎发育、肌肉生长、脂肪沉积以及免疫应答等过程中发挥重要作用。近年来,在人类基因组计划和ENCODE(The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements)计划推动下,在动物中不仅鉴定出数量众多的lncRNA,而且在lncRNA调控脂肪代谢、肌肉发育以及免疫抗病等重要生物学过程的机理研究方面也取得了突破性的进展。这些研究结果颠覆了lncRNA不编码蛋白的传统观念,提出了lncRNA编码功能性小肽调控生物学过程的新模型。本文主要介绍了动物lncRNA的特征与类型、常用数据库、生物学功能、分子调控模型以及未来lncRNA的研究方向,以期为动物lncRNA功能研究提供参考信息。

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important transcripts that are more than 200 nucleotides in length, and distribute extensively in animal and plant genomes. Accumulated studies demonstrate that lncRNAs play critical roles in biological processes related to embryogenesis, muscle development, lipid deposition and immune responses. They assist protein complexes in translocating to appropriate locations and participate in regulating gene activation and inactivation. Recently, rapid progress of lncRNA research is emerging, largely due to molecular biological technologies and information developed in the human genome project and the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project. For example, a dwarf open reading frame (DWORF) encoded by an annotated lncRNA was reported to activate the SERCA pump. Moreover, small regulatory polypeptide of amino acid response (SPAR) encoded by lncRNA LINC00961 was found to regulate muscle regeneration. These new results have revealed a novel model that lncRNA regulates biological processes using its small peptide product. In this review, we summarize the characteristics, databases, biological functions and molecular regulatory models, as well as research interests of lncRNAs in the future.