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Review
. 2018 Feb 14;19(2):570.
doi: 10.3390/ijms19020570.

Alteration of Epigenetic Regulation by Long Noncoding RNAs in Cancer

Mariangela Morlando  1 , Alessandro Fatica  2
Affiliations
Free PMC article
Review

Alteration of Epigenetic Regulation by Long Noncoding RNAs in Cancer

Mariangela Morlando et al. Int J Mol Sci. .
Free PMC article

Abstract

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of the epigenetic status of the human genome. Besides their participation to normal physiology, lncRNA expression and function have been already associated to many diseases, including cancer. By interacting with epigenetic regulators and by controlling chromatin topology, their misregulation may result in an aberrant regulation of gene expression that may contribute to tumorigenesis. Here, we review the functional role and mechanisms of action of lncRNAs implicated in the aberrant epigenetic regulation that has characterized cancer development and progression.

Keywords: cancer; chromatin; epigenetics; lncRNA.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Nuclear lncRNAs may act as: (a) guide lncRNAs, which act by recruiting or rejecting epigenetic regulators (chromatin modifying complexes and chromatin remodeling complexes) onto specific chromosomal loci; (b) architect lncRNAs, which act by modifying the three dimensional conformation of chromatin; and (c) enhancer lncRNAs (also called eRNAs), which regulate transcription through enhancer-like functions.
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