REVIEW: Noncoding RNAs and Chromatin Structure

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S. A. Lavrov^* and M. V. Kibanov

Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, pl. Kurchatova 2, 123182 Moscow, Russia; fax: (499) 196-0221; E-mail: slavrov@img.ras.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received April 5, 2007

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A number of examples of noncoding RNA-connected chromatin modifications in eukaryotes has been recently revealed. Four cases are under detailed consideration in the present review, namely Xist RNA-dependent X-chromosome inactivation in mammals, roX RNA-dependent hyperactivation of X-chromosome in the fruit fly (in both cases the goal is dosage compensation, equalization of transcription level from two X chromosomes in females and one in males), and two examples of RNAi-connected down-regulation of transcription--siRNA-dependent heterochromatin formation in fission yeast and RdDM (RNA-dependent DNA methylation) in plants (FWA gene regulation in Arabidopsis). Although overall quite different, each phenomenon demonstrates some common features of RNA-driven chromatin modification process, including the role of RNA in aiming of chromatin-modifying protein complexes to their targets and subsequent formation of self-maintaining specific chromatin conformation (DNA methylation, changes in histone code, and binding of self-assembling protein complexes).

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KEY WORDS: RNA interference, chromatin structure, transcription regulation

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297907130020

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