RNA Biology Group, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
Biochem Soc Trans. 2010 Aug;38(4):1144-9. doi: 10.1042/BST0381144.
NATs (natural antisense transcripts) are important regulators of eukaryotic gene expression. Interference between the expression of protein-coding sense transcripts and the corresponding NAT is well documented. In the present review, we focus on an additional, higher-order role of NATs that is currently emerging. The recent discovery of endogenous siRNAs (short interfering RNAs), as well as NAT-induced transcriptional gene silencing, are key to the proposed novel function of NATs.
NATs(自然反义转录本)是真核基因表达的重要调控因子。已有大量文献报道蛋白质编码正义转录本与相应的 NAT 之间的表达干扰。在本综述中,我们重点关注 NAT 目前新出现的一种更高级的作用。最近发现的内源性 siRNAs(短干扰 RNA)以及 NAT 诱导的转录基因沉默是 NAT 提出的新功能的关键。