Noncoding RNA synthesis and loss of Polycomb group repression accompanies the colinear activation of the human HOXA cluster.

ABSTRACT: The ratio of noncoding to protein coding DNA rises with the complexity of the organism, culminating in nearly 99% of nonprotein coding DNA in humans. Nevertheless, a large portion of these regions is transcribed, creating the alleged paradox that noncoding RNA (ncRNA) represents the largest output of the human genome. Such a complex scenario may include epigenetic mechanisms where ncRNAs would be involved in chromatin regulation. We have investigated the intergenic, noncoding transcriptomes of mammalian HOX clusters. We show that "opposite strand transcription" from the intergenic spacer regions in the human HOXA cluster correlates with the activity state of adjacent HOXA genes. This noncoding transcription is regulated by the retinoic acid morphogen and follows the colinear activation pat

SUBMITTER: Sessa L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1781374 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature