Biology:MEG3

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A representation of the 3D structure of the protein myoglobin showing turquoise α-helices.
Generic protein structure example

MEG3 (maternally expressed 3) is a maternally expressed, imprinted long non-coding RNA gene.[1] At least 12 different isoforms of MEG3 are generated by alternative splicing.[2] Expression of MEG3 is lost in cancer cells.[2][3] It acts as a growth suppressor in tumour cells, and activates p53.[3][4] A pituitary transcript variant has been associated with inhibited cell proliferation. Studies in mouse and sheep suggest that an upstream intergenic differentially methylated region (IG-DMR) regulates imprinting of the region. The expression profile in mouse of the co-regulated Meg3 and Dlk1 genes suggests a causative role in the pathologies found in uniparental disomy animals, characterized by defects in skeletal muscle maturation, bone formation, placenta size and organization and prenatal lethality. The sheep homolog is associated with the callipyge mutation which in heterozygous individuals affects a muscle-specific long-range control element located in the DLK1-GTL2 intergenic region and results in the callipyge muscular hypertrophy. The non-Mendelian inheritance pattern, known as polar overdominance, likely results from the combination of the cis-effect on the expression levels of genes in the DLK1-GTL2 imprinted domain, and trans interaction between the products of reciprocally imprinted genes.[5] MEG3 is thought to play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease by triggering necroptosis.[6][7]

See also

  • Long noncoding RNA

References

  1. "Entrez Gene: MEG3 maternally expressed 3". https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=gene&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=55384. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) noncoding ribonucleic acid: isoform structure, expression, and functions". Endocrinology 151 (3): 939–47. March 2010. doi:10.1210/en.2009-0657. PMID 20032057. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "A pituitary-derived MEG3 isoform functions as a growth suppressor in tumor cells". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 88 (11): 5119–26. November 2003. doi:10.1210/jc.2003-030222. PMID 14602737. 
  4. "Activation of p53 by MEG3 non-coding RNA". The Journal of Biological Chemistry 282 (34): 24731–42. August 2007. doi:10.1074/jbc.M702029200. PMID 17569660. 
  5. "Identification of an imprinted gene, Meg3/Gtl2 and its human homologue MEG3, first mapped on mouse distal chromosome 12 and human chromosome 14q". Genes to Cells 5 (3): 211–20. March 2000. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2443.2000.00320.x. PMID 10759892. 
  6. Balusu S, Horré K, Thrupp N, Craessaerts K, Snellinx A, Serneels L, T'Syen D, Chrysidou I, Arranz AM, Sierksma A, Simrén J, Karikari TK, Zetterberg H, Chen WT, Thal DR, Salta E, Fiers M, De Strooper B. MEG3 activates necroptosis in human neuron xenografts modeling Alzheimer's disease. Science. 2023 Sep 15;381(6663):1176-1182. doi:10.1126/science.abp9556 PMID 37708272
  7. "Scientists discover how brain cells die in Alzheimer's" (in en-GB). BBC News. 2023-09-15. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-66816268. 

Further reading