Figure 2.

Functional paradigms of lncRNAs. LncRNAs can (1) interfere with downstream gene transcription by suppressing RNA polymerase II recruitment or (2) promote downstream gene expression via inducing chromatin remodelling and histone modifications. (3) An antisense lncRNA hybridizes with the complementary transcript and then disturbs recognition of the splice sites by the spliceosome for forming an alternatively spliced transcript. (4) The hybridization is also capable of producing endo‐siRNAs by Dicer cleavage. Binding of lncRNAs to specific protein partners can (5) modulate protein activity, (6) serve as structural components or (7) alter protein localization. LncRNAs act as (8) the precursors of small ncRNAs or (9) ceRNAs