The syntenic long non-coding RNA DANCR is an essential regulator of zebrafish development and a human melanoma oncogene.

ABSTRACT: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in regulating gene expression. Some are essential for organismal development and physiology, and they can contribute to diseases including cancer. Whilst most lncRNAs exhibit little sequence similarity, conservation of lncRNA transcription relative to neighbouring protein-coding genes suggests potential functional significance. Most positionally equivalent lncRNAs are uncharacterized and it remains unclear whether they exert similar roles in distant species. Here, we identified melanoma-associated lncRNAs predicted to be components of the MITF gene regulatory network in human melanoma that have positionally equivalent transcripts in zebrafish. We prioritized the cancer-associated lncRNA Differentiation Antagonizing Non-Protein Coding RNA (D

SUBMITTER: Jones SME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12694859 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature