Cellular functions of long noncoding RNAs

A diverse catalog of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which lack protein-coding potential, are transcribed from the mammalian genome. They are emerging as important regulators in gene expression networks by controlling nuclear architecture and transcription in the nucleus and by modulating mRNA stability, translation and post-translational modifications in the cytoplasm. In this Review, we highlight recent progress in cellular functions of lncRNAs at the molecular level in mammalian cells.Yao et al. review functions of lncRNAs in controlling chromatin architecture, transcription and nuclear bodies in the nucleus and in modulating mRNA stability, translation and protein modifications in the cytoplasm.

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