The Discovery and Characterization of the LncRNA Firre

Furthermore, Firre spreads across a ~5 Megabase (Mb) domain around its transcription site on the X chromosome and localizes across at least five distinct trans-chromosomal loci in the genome. The trans-chromosomal targets reside in spatial proximity to the Firre locus, the genetic deletion of which results in the loss of co-localization of these trans-chromosomal interacting loci. Interestingly, the knockdown of hnRNPU also impedes these trans sites to be brought into the vicinity of the Firre locus. Thus, our data suggest a new form of lncRNA-mediated regulation in the nucleus, in which lncRNAs, such as Firre, via their unique repetitive domains, can interface with and modulate nuclear architecture across chromosomes.