Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about the role of long non-coding RNA, particularly NEAT1, in stabilizing the genome. Researchers found that highly methylated NEAT1 plays a crucial role in recognizing and repairing broken DNA strands more efficiently.
Every time a cell divides, its DNA is at risk of damage due to errors during replication or exposure to environmental factors such as sunlight, alcohol, and cigarette smoke. To counteract this damage, cells have built-in repair systems called the DNA damage response (DDR). This process activates specific signaling pathways that detect and fix errors.
A team from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg has now identified a new mechanism in the DDR that is mediated via an RNA transcript. The study focuses on NEAT1, which is found in high concentrations in many tumor cells and reacts to DNA damage and cellular stress.
The researchers discovered that when NEAT1 is highly methylated, it helps the cell recognize and repair broken DNA strands more efficiently. This discovery could pave the way for new cancer treatments targeting tumors with high NEAT1 expression.
The study showed that the frequent occurrence of DNA double-strand breaks causes excessive methylation of NEAT1, leading to changes in its secondary structure. As a result, highly methylated NEAT1 accumulates at these lesions to drive the recognition of broken DNA. The team found that suppressing NEAT1 levels delayed the DNA damage response, resulting in increased amounts of DNA damage.
NEAT1 itself does not repair DNA damage but enables the controlled release and activation of an RNA-binding DNA repair factor. This allows the cell to recognize and repair DNA damage highly efficiently.
The findings open up new avenues for cancer therapy, particularly for tumors with high NEAT1 expression. Further research is needed to confirm whether these results can be transferred to complex tumor models.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-just-discovered-an-rna-that-repairs-dna-damage-and-its-a-game-changer