A scientific collaboration between the University of Navarra's CIMA, the CNIO, the National Biotechnology Centre of the CSIC (CNB-CSIC), and France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) has shed light on the function of CONCR, an RNA molecule critical for cell division. This discovery, published in the journal Molecular Cell, is considered fundamental for advancing the development of targeted cancer therapies.
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent a significant challenge in current molecular biology, as their mode of action is not yet fully understood. Unlike proteins, these RNA molecules do not encode proteins but play essential roles in cellular processes, with an apparent prevalence in cancer.
The study details that CONCR acts thanks to its modular three-dimensional structure, composed of rigid parts with a defined shape connected by more flexible regions. This architecture allows the RNA to bind to proteins, such as the identified DDX11, to regulate key cellular functions like DNA replication and the maintenance of chromosome structure.
The researchers propose that this modular architecture concept could be the basis for the function of many other lncRNAs. Mutations made in the RNA that preserve its structure but alter its nucleotide sequence suggest that the structure, rather than the exact sequence, determines its function.
Understanding lncRNAs, like CONCR, is crucial as numerous long non-coding RNAs are altered in cancer, potentially promoting tumor growth or acting as suppressors. Advances in understanding their molecular mechanisms could translate into new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies.
The project received funding from "la Caixa" Foundation, the State Research Agency (AEI), the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), the Carlos III Health Institute, and the Community of Madrid, in addition to European funds and international entities such as the Fondation pour la recherche sur le cancer (ARC) and the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC).
