Natural antisense transcripts: Biology, mechanisms, and therapeutic potential: An update

Abstract

Endogenous RNA molecules called natural antisense transcripts (NATs) are produced from the complementary DNA strand of either non-coding or protein-coding genes. NATs are not byproducts of random transcription but rather important controllers of gene expression, according to mounting evidence. Antisense transcription has been demonstrated to occur extensively in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes with the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, highlighting its biological significance and evolutionary conservation. Numerous processes, such as transcriptional inhibition, chromatin remodeling, epigenetic changes, RNA editing, alternative splicing, regulation of mRNA stability, and translational control, are used by NATs to control gene expression. As a result, they play essential roles in numerous physiological processes, such as embryonic development, cell differentiation, adaptation to stress, and the maintenance of normal cellular homeostasis. Dysregulation of NAT expression has been linked to a variety of illnesses, including cancer, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and autoimmune problems. NATs play important roles in plant development and stress biology. This review highlights current knowledge on NAT biogenesis, classification, and structural organization in the initial chapter by providing a brief introduction to transcription mechanisms and players involved. The following sections cover the molecular mechanisms, biological roles of NATs. The role of NATs in human diseases and plant biology forms the later chapter. The emerging therapeutic applications of NATs are discussed in the last chapter. With the availability of the genomes of several genomes and parallel developments in bioinformatics, antisense biology stands at an exciting junction to address several basic questions and applications.