Non-coding RNA in Germany: Latest Advances and Perspectives

A special issue of Non-Coding RNA (ISSN 2311-553X). This special issue belongs to the section "Detection and Biomarkers of Non-Coding RNA".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 26256

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Medical Faculty, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Charles Tanford Protein Centre, Halle (Saale), Germany
Interests: cancer biology; metastasis; non-coding RNAs; RNA-binding proteins; functional genomics; genome engineering; CRISPR/Cas9
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Guest Editor
Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Jena, Germany
Interests: epigenetics; long-noncoding RNA; transcription, nucleolus; aging; stem cells
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this Special Issue is to present a series of articles (both reviews and original research) from experts in non-coding RNA research across Germany. We invite the submission of articles that highlight the history and deepen our current understanding of the role of non-coding RNAs (both small and long) in multiple disciplines and organisms ranging from bacteria to plant and human cells. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in:

  • aging and senescence;
  • cell fate decision and differentiation;
  • cell communication and signaling;
  • cell growth, proliferation, and death;
  • cell movement and motility;
  • cell and tissue development;
  • diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, cancers, neurodegenerative diseases); and
  • immune cell function and immune escape.

In addition, we invite the submission of manuscripts discussing state-of-the-art ncRNA technologies and developments in ncRNA diagnostics and therapeutics.

Prof. Dr. Tony Gutschner
Dr. Holger Bierhoff
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Non-Coding RNA is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Review

26 pages, 1749 KiB  
Review
Advances in Non-Coding RNA Sequencing
by Julia Micheel, Aram Safrastyan and Damian Wollny
Non-Coding RNA 2021, 7(4), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/ncrna7040070 - 30 Oct 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 7206
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) comprise a set of abundant and functionally diverse RNA molecules. Since the discovery of the first ncRNA in the 1960s, ncRNAs have been shown to be involved in nearly all steps of the central dogma of molecular biology. In recent [...] Read more.
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) comprise a set of abundant and functionally diverse RNA molecules. Since the discovery of the first ncRNA in the 1960s, ncRNAs have been shown to be involved in nearly all steps of the central dogma of molecular biology. In recent years, the pace of discovery of novel ncRNAs and their cellular roles has been greatly accelerated by high-throughput sequencing. Advances in sequencing technology, library preparation protocols as well as computational biology helped to greatly expand our knowledge of which ncRNAs exist throughout the kingdoms of life. Moreover, RNA sequencing revealed crucial roles of many ncRNAs in human health and disease. In this review, we discuss the most recent methodological advancements in the rapidly evolving field of high-throughput sequencing and how it has greatly expanded our understanding of ncRNA biology across a large number of different organisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-coding RNA in Germany: Latest Advances and Perspectives)
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17 pages, 888 KiB  
Review
Small but Mighty—The Emerging Role of snoRNAs in Hematological Malignancies
by Jaime Calvo Sánchez and Marcel Köhn
Non-Coding RNA 2021, 7(4), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/ncrna7040068 - 26 Oct 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4323
Abstract
Over recent years, the long known class of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) have gained interest among the scientific community, especially in the clinical context. The main molecular role of this interesting family of non-coding RNAs is to serve as scaffolding RNAs to mediate [...] Read more.
Over recent years, the long known class of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) have gained interest among the scientific community, especially in the clinical context. The main molecular role of this interesting family of non-coding RNAs is to serve as scaffolding RNAs to mediate site-specific RNA modification of ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs). With the development of new sequencing techniques and sophisticated analysis pipelines, new members of the snoRNA family were identified and global expression patterns in disease backgrounds could be determined. We will herein shed light on the current research progress in snoRNA biology and their clinical role by influencing disease outcome in hematological diseases. Astonishingly, in recent studies snoRNAs emerged as potent biomarkers in a variety of these clinical setups, which is also highlighted by the frequent deregulation of snoRNA levels in the hema-oncological context. However, research is only starting to reveal how snoRNAs might influence cellular functions and the connected disease hallmarks in hematological malignancies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-coding RNA in Germany: Latest Advances and Perspectives)
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17 pages, 591 KiB  
Review
The Cohesin Complex and Its Interplay with Non-Coding RNAs
by Merve Kuru-Schors, Monika Haemmerle and Tony Gutschner
Non-Coding RNA 2021, 7(4), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/ncrna7040067 - 22 Oct 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 7087
Abstract
The cohesin complex is a multi-subunit protein complex initially discovered for its role in sister chromatid cohesion. However, cohesin also has several other functions and plays important roles in transcriptional regulation, DNA double strand break repair, and chromosome architecture thereby influencing gene expression [...] Read more.
The cohesin complex is a multi-subunit protein complex initially discovered for its role in sister chromatid cohesion. However, cohesin also has several other functions and plays important roles in transcriptional regulation, DNA double strand break repair, and chromosome architecture thereby influencing gene expression and development in organisms from yeast to man. While most of these functions rely on protein–protein interactions, post-translational protein, as well as DNA modifications, non-coding RNAs are emerging as additional players that facilitate and modulate the function or expression of cohesin and its individual components. This review provides a condensed overview about the architecture as well as the function of the cohesin complex and highlights its multifaceted interplay with both short and long non-coding RNAs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-coding RNA in Germany: Latest Advances and Perspectives)
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15 pages, 1423 KiB  
Review
Commuting to Work: Nucleolar Long Non-Coding RNA Control Ribosome Biogenesis from Near and Far
by Victoria Mamontova, Barbara Trifault, Lea Boten and Kaspar Burger
Non-Coding RNA 2021, 7(3), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/ncrna7030042 - 14 Jul 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5484
Abstract
Gene expression is an essential process for cellular growth, proliferation, and differentiation. The transcription of protein-coding genes and non-coding loci depends on RNA polymerases. Interestingly, numerous loci encode long non-coding (lnc)RNA transcripts that are transcribed by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) and fine-tune the [...] Read more.
Gene expression is an essential process for cellular growth, proliferation, and differentiation. The transcription of protein-coding genes and non-coding loci depends on RNA polymerases. Interestingly, numerous loci encode long non-coding (lnc)RNA transcripts that are transcribed by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) and fine-tune the RNA metabolism. The nucleolus is a prime example of how different lncRNA species concomitantly regulate gene expression by facilitating the production and processing of ribosomal (r)RNA for ribosome biogenesis. Here, we summarise the current findings on how RNAPII influences nucleolar structure and function. We describe how RNAPII-dependent lncRNA can both promote nucleolar integrity and inhibit ribosomal (r)RNA synthesis by modulating the availability of rRNA synthesis factors in trans. Surprisingly, some lncRNA transcripts can directly originate from nucleolar loci and function in cis. The nucleolar intergenic spacer (IGS), for example, encodes nucleolar transcripts that counteract spurious rRNA synthesis in unperturbed cells. In response to DNA damage, RNAPII-dependent lncRNA originates directly at broken ribosomal (r)DNA loci and is processed into small ncRNA, possibly to modulate DNA repair. Thus, lncRNA-mediated regulation of nucleolar biology occurs by several modes of action and is more direct than anticipated, pointing to an intimate crosstalk of RNA metabolic events. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-coding RNA in Germany: Latest Advances and Perspectives)
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