Long noncoding RNAs in vertebrate development

The human genome encodes a large number of long intervening noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs): What are they? Do they have any biological functions? Using a combination of comparative genomics, zebrafish genetics and molecular biology, we are investigating whether lincRNAs control normal embryonic development. Perturbations of two lincRNAs (cyrano and megamind) caused dramatic developmental defects in zebrafish embryos including brain and eye abnormalities. These defects could be rescued when the missing zebrafish version of a lincRNA was replaced by a human equivalent, indicating that these molecules have conserved functions. In the future, we will focus on finding more lincRNAs that have crucial roles in development. We will decipher how they function within the cell, and which cellular components they partner with to control development. Ultimately, we aim to understand how these mysterious molecules control human development.