Figure 1.

Overview of the five molecular functions of lncRNAs.

Notes: (A) lncRNAs act as decoys to attract transcription factors and influence protein activity. (B) In addition, the ability to aggregate different proteins has highlighted their usefulness as scaffolds. (C) lncRNAs also have a critical role in signal regulation. (D) lncRNAs can interact with miRNAs, acting as “sponges”. (E) lncRNAs play essential roles in guiding chromatin-remodeling enzymes to target sites.

Abbreviations: lncRNAs, long noncoding RNAs; TF, transcription factor; Pol, polymerase.