The function of non-coding RNA in the cell has long been a mystery to researchers. Unlike coding RNA, non-coding RNA does not produce proteins – yet it exists in large quantities. A research team from the University of Göttingen has now discovered an important function of antisense RNA (asRNA): the researchers found that asRNA acts as a "superhighway" in cell transport and thus accelerates gene expression.
The results were published in Nature. RNA (ribonucleic acid) plays a central role in the translation of DNA information into proteins. There are different types of RNA, one of which is known as messenger RNA (mRNA).
Messenger RNA is a type of coding RNA and its job is to transmit the building instructions for proteins from the DNA in the cell nucleus out into the cytoplasm, where other cell components translate them into proteins. In addition to coding RNA, there are large quantities of non-coding RNA. Much of the non-coding RNA is produced as the complementary strand to mRNA and is therefore referred to as antisense RNA (asRNA).
Their function has been unclear for a long time. It seemed unbelievable to me that a cell would produce RNAs without a purpose. This is contrary to nature.
" Professor Heike Krebber from Göttingen University's Institute of Microbiology and Genetics Krebber's team discovered that asRNA combines with mRNA, which is then preferentially transported from the cell nucleus into the cytoplasm. This means that the cell translates the information from t.