Are We Studying Non-Coding RNAs Correctly? Lessons from nc886

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as microRNAs or long ncRNAs, have brought about a new paradigm in the regulation of gene expression. Sequencing technologies have detected transcripts with tremendous sensitivity and throughput and revealed that the majority of them lack protein-coding potential. Myriad articles have investigated numerous ncRNAs and many of them claim that ncRNAs play gene-regulatory roles. However, it is questionable whether all these articles draw conclusions through cautious gain- and loss-of function experiments whose design was reasonably based on an ncRNA's correct identity and features. In this review, these issues are discussed with a regulatory ncRNA, nc886, as an example case to represent cautions and guidelines when studying ncRNAs.

Automated summary

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have revolutionized the understanding of gene expression regulation. However, there are still questions regarding the experimental design and accurate identification of ncRNAs. This review focuses on the example of nc886 to discuss the caution and guidelines when studying ncRNAs.