Gene regulation: Non-coding RNA interferes with transcription
A non-coding RNA represses expression of a cell-cycle-regulated gene by directly interfering with the binding of transcription factors, a paper published online this week by Nature suggests. The discovery expands our knowledge of the diverse mechanisms used by non-coding RNAs in regulating gene expression.Transcription factors are known to bind to the promoter regions of genes and initiate the production of RNA transcripts. Alexandre Akoulitchev and colleagues find that a non-coding RNA – an RNA molecule that is not translated into protein – forms a complex with the major promoter region of the human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene, which in turn interferes with the binding of transcription factors. The non-coding RNA is only produced in quiescent cells, leading to repression of the DHFR gene in these conditions.Author contact:Alexandre Akoulitchev (University of Oxford, UK)Tel: +44 1865 275 614, E-mail: alexandre.akoulitchev@path.ox.ac.uk