The Natural Antisense RNA Corresponding To5S RRNA

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a class of RNAs which can not be translatedinto proteins. Some genes in human genome are ncRNA genes. ncRNAs could alsobe generated from introns and intergenic sequences, or sometimes from the locus ofcoding gene by transcription from the opposite strand. ncRNAs exist widely in cells,and can be classified based on their intracellular distribution and length. They sharethree characteristics: no open reading frame, conservative secondary structure, andspecific temporal and spatial expression pattern. Regulation mechanisms of ncRNAsinclude base-pairing with other RNAs, simulating the structure of other molecules,spatial inhibition, catalysis, epigenetic modification, and so on. With these mechanis-ms, ncRNAs can regulate genes crucial for life activities at multi-level, including genetranscription, chromosome structure, RNA metabolism, mRNA stability and transla-tion, protein functions, and evolution.Natural antisense RNA (NAT) is a class of ncRNA molecules complementary totarget RNA, which can be classified into cis-NAT and trans-NAT. In eukaryotes, theyare involved into the regulation of genomic imprinting, RNA interference, mRNAtranslation, RNA editing, and X chromosome inactivation. They also play importantroles in the maintenance of normal physiological function. It’s a active field ofmodern molecular cell biology.Based on preliminary data from our laboratory, we predicted the presence ofNAT specific to5S rRNA, and designed a series of experiments to verify the exist-ence of5S rRNA NAT molecules in HeLa and PC-3cells.To investigate further about5S rRNA NAT, we took advantage of the3’ RACE meth-od to determine the full length of the5S rRNA NAT molecules. Although weobtaind a longer NAT molecular fragment, we could not determine the full length of this NAT.Further research to determine the full length and functions of the5S rRNANAT molecules would be necessary.