Non-coding RNA Flashcards
What are the components of RNA structure?
Nitrogenous base
Pentose Sugar (Ribose)
Phosphate group
Name some of the secondary structures of RNA
Single Strand Double Strand Single-nucleotide bulge Three nucleotide bulge Hairpin loop Symmetric internal loop Asymmetric internal loop Two-stem juntion (coaxial stack) Three-stem junction Four-stem junction
Name some tertiary structures of RNA
Pseudoknot
Kissing hairpins
Hairpin loop-bulge contact
Why is alternative splicing useful?
It generates multiple mRNAs and proteins from one protein-coding gene
What are the properties of RNA?
Both encode sequence information and possess great structural plasticity
Can directly interact with DNA and other RNAs
Highly structured RNA can also provide docking sites for binding proteins
Compact size and significant specificity
Name some RNA types
Coding RNAs
Non coding RNAs loosely divided into 2 classes: Small and long ncRNAs
Name the features of lncRNAs
300nt to >100kb in size
mRNA like transcripts
Lack significant open reading frames
Many are transcribed by RNA pol II and are polyadenylated (although exceptions)
What are the two main classes of ncRNAs and their functions?
Housekeeping- constitutively expressed and required for normal function and cell viability
Regulatory- expressed only in certain stages of organism development or as a response to external stimuli
What are the features of snoRNAs?
60-300nt
Found predominantly in nucleolus
What are the functions of snoRNAs?
Act as a guide RNA for post transcriptional modification of rRNAs and some spliceosomal RNAs
Promote alternative splicing through interactions with some protein partners
Functions mediated by formation of duplexes between snoRNAs and RNAs with complementary sequences
Where are snoRNAs encoded?
In the introns of protein coding or non-protein coding genes
What can snoRNA loci give rise to?
miRNA-like small RNAs
snoRNA pathological significance?
Prader-Willi syndrome associated with microdeletion removing a cluster of snoRNAs
U50 snoRNA transcriptionally down-reg in prostate cancer and breast cancer
Non-small cell lung cancer due to amplification of SNORA42
Which snoRNAs are tumour suppressors for which cancers?
U50 C/D box snoRNA-breast and prostate cancer
H5sn2 H/ACA snoRNA- Meningioma
RNU43 and RNU44 C/D box snoRNAs- Breast and HNSCC
Major classes of snoRNAs
C/D box define target sites for 2’-O-ribose methylation
H/ACA box define target sites for pseudouridylation
scaRNAs variants that mediate alternative splicing in nuclear Cajal bodies
Which snoRNAs can be oncogenes?
snoRD33 C/D box
snoRD66 C/D box
snoRD76 C/D box
snoRA42 H/ACA box
What is the RNAi mechanism?
- dsRNA binds to Dicer
- Dicer cleaves dsRNA into smaller fragments (digestion)
- One of the RNA strands is loaded into a RISC complex (unwinding)
- The complex links to the mRNA strand by basepairing (binding)
- mRNA is cleaved and destroyed. No protein can be synthesized (degradation)
What is the significance of RNAi?
Defense mechanism against dsRNA-containing viruses
May stabilise the genome by sequestering repetitive sequences such as mobile genetic elements
Control cellular development
Repress protein synthesis and regulate development of organism-miRNAs
Gene silencing
What are the functions of miRNAs?
Endogenous triggers of the RNAi pathway
Regulate thousands of human protein-coding genes
Critical roles in tumorgenesis
Regulate developmental processes
What are the differences between RNAi and miRNA translational repression?
miRNA are not perfectly complimentary to their targets
miRNAs do not induce target cleavage but block translation by binding to complementary mRNAs
miRNAs encoded by host genome whereas siRNAs in most cases originate from outer source