Exploring the dark matter of the human brain transcriptome The origin and funct...
Exploring the dark matter of the human brain transcriptome The origin and function of long non coding RNAs
Genome-wide transcription maps of different model species [1-5] reveal an unforeseen number of transcribed DNA segments lacking protein-coding potential [1, 2, 4, 5]. These non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are frequently expressed...
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Descripción del proyecto
Genome-wide transcription maps of different model species [1-5] reveal an unforeseen number of transcribed DNA segments lacking protein-coding potential [1, 2, 4, 5]. These non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are frequently expressed in the brain [6] and, although generally acknowledged as functionally relevant, the biological role of most long ncRNAs remains unclear mainly due to the lack of prediction tools and testable hypotheses. Recent work in the host institution indicates that some brain-expressed ncRNAs regulate the transcription of adjacent protein-coding genes thus providing a criterion to target long ncRNA for further characterization (Ponjavic, J. et al submitted). We propose to compile and analyze a catalog of human long ncRNAs and use it to understand when and how these transcripts emerged during evolution. Using a combination of in silico and in vitro experiments we will identify and functionally characterize long ncRNAs in the human genome, and test the recent hypothesis that some of these transcripts are involved in the transcriptional regulation of their adjacent protein-coding genes. We will particularly focus on transcripts that are specific to primates, as these are more likely to contribute to recently emerged features of the human brain including their relative increase in brain size and complexity. The proposed identification and functional characterization of young brain-expressed ncRNAs is timely and combines the applicant’s expertises in protein-coding gene evolution and the computational and ncRNA competences available in the host institution.