Mapping vast unknown territory of long non-coding RNA 

"Long non-coding RNAs are part of what you might call the 'dark matter' of the genome, and this tool we've developed should help us understand much better how they work in health and disease,"

Every now and again, something turns up that makes one feel good. In my most recent case it was a book review. No, not one of my books, but one in Nature (vol 632, pp 250-251) on RNA. The Nobel prize winner, Thomas Cech describes RNA as “Folding into origami-like shapes, it can pull off wild stunts that make its genetic parent, DNA, look like a one-trick pony.” This is in his book The Catalyst…

Specific changes to non-coding RNA may be part of what makes us human

Human-specific variants of four microRNAs may have altered expression levels and gene targets compared to other great apes, according to a study published April 22, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Alicia Gallego from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Spain, and colleagues.

MicroRNAs are post-transcriptional gene regulators known to be involved in almost every biological function. They are highly conserved among species and, while some differences exist, the effect of the variations is often unclear. The authors of the present study analysed over 1500 microRNAs to identify variations between humans and other great ape species, including orangutans, gorillas, bonobos and chimpanzees, and the possible effect of these variations on function.

Gallego A, Melé M, Balcells I, García-Ramallo E, Torruella-Loran I, Fernández-Bellon H, et al. (2016) Functional Implications of Human-Specific Changes in Great Ape microRNAs. PLoS ONE 11(4): e0154194. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0154194

Origins of Genomic 'Dark Matter' Discovered

Sep. 18, 2013 — A duo of scientists at Penn State University has achieved a major milestone in understanding how genomic "dark matter" originates. This "dark matter" -- called non-coding RNA -- does not contain the blueprint for making proteins and yet it comprises more than 95 percent of the human genome. The researchers have discovered that essentially all coding and non-coding RNA originates at the same types of locations along the human genome. The team's findings eventually may help to pinpoint exactly where complex-disease traits reside, since the genetic origins of many diseases reside outside of the coding region of the genome.

Your Brain on Epigenetics.