TMEVPG1, a long noncoding RNA within the immune system

Abstract

Thousands of genes encoding long noncoding RNAs were identified throughout the genome; however, less than 1% of known long noncoding RNAs have been assigned a biologic function. At present, long noncoding RNAs mediate positive or negative regulation target gene transcription within nearly all developmental systems establishing an additional layer of noncoding regulation of protein-coding genes. Within the immune system we identified TMEVPG1, an enhancer lncRNA that contributes to the Th1 differentiation program of key adaptive immune cells resulting in the expression of the pleiotropic cytokine interferon gamma. As with other developmental programs, our results demonstrate that a lncRNA plays an essential role in Th1 cell biology.