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PDFOpen Access (License Unspecified), Open Access
Thesis
Identifying conserved regions in lncRNA SChLAP1
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Aug 2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001805
Abstract
Over the last two decades, breakthroughs in sequencing technologies have revealed that mammalian genomes encode thousands of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The numbers of human lncRNAs that are dysregulated in diseases are rising at a rapid pace. Recent studies suggest that lncRNAs are critical regulators of both fundamental cellular processes and disease progression. Despite their significance as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets, the molecular mechanisms of lncRNA function remain poorly understood. For example, SChLAP1 is a lncRNA that is seen to be upregulated among the aggressive subtype of prostate cancer and is critical for cancer cell invasiveness. However, the molecular mechanism behind SChLAP1's function is unknown. Emerging studies show that the function of lncRNAs is dictated by their sequence and structure. Therefore, we analyzed the sequence conservation of SChLAP1 across different species to help us identify functionally important domains of the lncRNA SChLAP1. The results identified that the 5'-end region of SChLAP1 is highly conserved across mammalian sequences. We, therefore, hypothesized that this region is functionally significant. By overexpressing full length and/or 5'-end alone, we tested the functional importance of conserved regions in lncRNA SChLAP1. Future studies include CRISPR/Cas-based deletions to investigate the mechanism of SChLAP1 in gene regulation and cancer.
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Details
- Title
- Identifying conserved regions in lncRNA SChLAP1
- Creators
- Zahra Sadruddin Charania
- Contributors
- Christian Sell (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- iv, 38 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; College of Medicine; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991021229815204721