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VASCULAR DISEASE

Lnc-ing microRNA activity to atheroprotection

Nature Metabolism volume 1, pages 10–11 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

Cholesterol accumulation in cells and blood vessels promotes the development of vascular diseases. The long non-coding RNA CHROME can help clear excess cholesterol and provide protection from atherosclerosis.

The sequencing of the human genome expanded the catalog of potential functional DNA to include numerous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). LncRNAs are defined as transcripts greater than 200 bp that do not code for proteins, although some annotated lncRNAs have been found to encode polypeptides known as micropeptides, which are less than 100–150 amino acids in length1. A growing number of studies have defined roles for lncRNAs in development and disease, particularly in the area of cancer biology. Recently, the role of non-coding transcripts in regulating lipid homeostasis and atherosclerosis has been unraveled2,3,4. In this issue of Nature Metabolism, Hennessy et al.5 expand our understanding of the physiological role of lncRNAs in cholesterol metabolism and atherosclerosis.

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Fig. 1: Model for CHROME actions in atherosclerosis.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Tamer Sallam

  2. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Peter Tontonoz

Authors
  1. Tamer Sallam
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  2. Peter Tontonoz
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Correspondence to Peter Tontonoz.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Cite this article

Sallam, T., Tontonoz, P. Lnc-ing microRNA activity to atheroprotection. Nat Metab 1, 10–11 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-018-0012-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-018-0012-9

Keywords

  • miRNAs
  • lncRNAs
  • ABCA1 Expression
  • High-density Lipoprotein Biogenesis
  • Carotid Artery Plaque

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