# Molecular mechanistic studies of long “noncoding” RNAs in mammalian cell differentiation

> **NIH NIH R01** · MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER · 2021 · $318,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The goal of this study is to determine the molecular mechanisms by which long “noncoding” RNAs regulate
mammalian cells differentiation. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), defined as RNAs longer than 200nt without
functional protein coding capacity, are emerging regulators of gene expression. Genomic studies revealed that
many lncRNAs are differentially expressed in a wide variety of biological processes. Although an increasing
number of lncRNAs are observed to play important roles under many physiological and pathological conditions,
the molecular mechanisms they use to control gene expression are still unknown for a lot of lncRNAs. Thus,
mechanistically characterizing functionally important lncRNAs in mammalian cells is of high significance to both
RNA molecular biology and potential usage of these RNAs as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.
Using the terminal differentiation of erythroid cells as a model, our recent studies revealed that lncRNAs can be
classified into bona fide lncRNAs and small-polypeptide-encoding “lncRNAs” based on their functional
association with the cellular translational apparatus, the ribosome. Notably, we observed that lncRNAs from
each of these two categories play critical roles in this important cell differentiation process. Thus, we plan to
mechanistically dissect how bona fide lncRNAs and small-polypeptide-encoding “lncRNAs” regulate gene
expression in mammalian cell differentiation, respectively. The results from this study will not only fill a
fundamental knowledge gap in lncRNA biology, the molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs, but also may
potentially provide insights for human diseases, as one of the lncRNAs we will study, Dleu2, is frequently
deleted in certain human leukemias.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10112347
- **Project number:** 1R01GM136869-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Wenqian Hu
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $318,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-01-01 → 2024-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10112347

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10112347, Molecular mechanistic studies of long “noncoding” RNAs in mammalian cell differentiation (1R01GM136869-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10112347. Licensed CC0.

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