Long Non-Coding RNA Central of Glucose Homeostasis

Glucose metabolism is one of the fundamental biochemical processes in mammals. Metabolism of glucose is subjected to tissue and cell specific regulation involving many transporters, enzymes, and transcriptional factors. Dysregulation of glucose metabolism has been linked to many human diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a novel class of functional RNAs that regulate multiple biological functions through diverse mechanisms including recruitment of epigenetic modifier proteins, control of mRNA decay and translation, and DNA sequestration of transcription factors. Recent studies have demonstrated that lncRNAs play an important role in regulating differentiation and homeostasis of metabolic tissues. This review will discuss lncRNA biology with a focus on their role in regulating glucose metabolism in cancer cells and metabolic tissues. (C) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.