Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are being realized as important players in gene regulation and their misregulation has been considered as one of the underlying causes for tumor initiation and progression in many human pathologies. In the current thesis, I have addressed the functional role of lncRNAs in development and disease model systems. Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon by which subset of genes are expressed in a parent of origin-specific manner. The Kcnq1 imprinted locus is epigenetically regulated by Kcnq1ot1 lncRNA. Deletion of an 890bp region at the 5’ end of Kcnq1ot1 in mouse resulted in the loss of silencing of neighboring ubiqui-tously imprinted genes (UIGs). In addition, we observed loss of DNA methylation at the UIG promoters. We have shown that Kcnq1ot1 RNA establishes CpG methylation by interacting with DNMT1. To explore the stability of lncRNA mediated silencing pathways, we have conditionally deleted Kcnq1ot1 in the mouse in a stage and tissue-specific manner. We have shown that Kcnq1ot1 is continuously required for maintaining the silencing of UIGs, whereas the silencing of the placental im-printed genes is maintained in an RNA independent manner.   To identify chromatin-associated lncRNA (CARs) on a genome-wide scale, we purified RNA from the sucrose gradient fractionated chromatin and subjected it to RNA sequencing. Our study has identified 141 intronic and 74 long intergenic CARs. Characterization of one of the CARs revealed that it regulates the expression of neighboring genes in cis by modulating the chromatin structure.   We have explored the functional role of lncRNA in tumor progression and initiation by using pediatric neuroblastoma. By transcriptional profiling of low- and high-risk tumors, we have identified several lncRNAs differentially expressed between these subtypes. We report an uncharacterized RNA NBAT-1, expressed at lower levels in high-risk tumors relative to low-risk tumors.  Using neuroblastoma cell culture system, we demonstrated that NBAT-1 has anti-cell proliferative and anti-invasive properties. In addition, it promotes differentiation of neurons from undifferentiated neuroblastoma cell lines.   In summary, by employing mouse genetics, cell culture based model system and expression profiling in tumors, we have uncovered new roles of lncRNA in gene regulation.

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

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High throughput transcriptomic analyses have realized us with the fact that eukaryotic genome encodes thousands of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) with unknown function. In my thesis, I sought to address epigenetic regulation of transcription by ncRNA using the Kcnq1 imprinted cluster as a model system. Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon whereby one of the parental alleles is silenced by epigenetic mechanism in a parent of origin-specific manner. A long ncRNA Kcnq1ot1 regulates imprinting of nearly 8 protein coding genes in the Kcnq1 imprinted cluster. Expression of Kcnq1ot1 is restricted to the paternal chromosome while that of protein-coding genes to the maternal chromosome. Kcnq1ot1 is a 91kb long, moderately stable, nuclear localized and RNAPII encoded transcript. We demonstrated that Kcnq1ot1 RNA itself mediates lineage specific silencing on the paternal chromosome by interacting with chromatin and recruiting the repressive chromatin modifiers to the imprinted gene promoters. Previously we identified an 890bp silencing domain (SD) at the 5´end of the Kcnq1ot1 RNA which is responsible for gene silencing. Targeted deletion of the 890SD in mouse resulted in specific loss of silencing of ubiquitously imprinted genes. We have further shown that Kcnq1ot1 interacts with Dnmt1 and recruit Dnmt1 at the somatic DMRs flanking some of the ubiquitously imprinted genes. We next addressed the stability of the Kcnq1ot1 mediated epigenetic silencing using transgenic mouse where we have conditionally deleted the Kcnq1ot1 RNA at different developmental stages and we found that Kcnq1ot1 RNA is required to maintain the silencing of the ubiquitously imprinted genes. In addition, DNA methylation, which controls imprinting of the ubiquitous genes require Kcnq1ot1 for its maintenance. To characterize the ncRNAs that mediate gene regulation through chromatin interaction we have isolated chromatin associated RNAs (CARs) from sucrose gradient fractioned chromatin. High-throughput sequencing of the CARs resulted in the identification of the 141 intronic and 74 intergenic regions harboring CARs. We characterized one of the intergenic CARs which regulate the transcription of the two neighboring genes by modulating the chromatin marks. In summary current thesis has uncovered unprecedented role of ncRNAs in gene expression via chromatin level regulation.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M. Med. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2002. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-76). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNQ99177

In this study, nineteen cases of suspected or clinically diagnosed Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) were tested for molecular deletions by in situ hybridization with two DNA probes, IR4-3R and GABRB3. Both probes are specific for sequences within the chromosome region 15q11-13, with IR4-3R located within the putative PWS region and GABRB3 in the distal area associated with Angelman Syndrome.