The balance of power between retention and export of lncRNAs

多年来，人们已经知道，人类基因组通过一种名为信使RNA的中间体携带着制造蛋白质的信息。最近对人类基因组的分析表明，它的很大一部分被复制来制造其他类型的RNA分子，这些RNA分子发挥着许多重要功能，如调节我们体内染色体的活动，以及更多不同的功能，如调节植物何时开花。至关重要的是，这些新发现的不编码蛋白质的RNA分子中的一些与我们的基因组保持在同一个细胞隔间，即细胞核，而制造蛋白质的mRNAs被运输到细胞质。细胞如何决定哪些RNA移至细胞质，哪些保留在细胞核内，目前尚不清楚。在这个项目中，我们将确定分选机制是如何工作的，它决定了RNA是应该留在细胞核中还是移动到细胞质中。

For many years it has been known that the human genome carries the information to make proteins via an intermediate called messenger RNA. Recent analysis of the human genome has revealed that large parts of it are copied to make other types of RNA molecules and these RNA molecules play many important functions such as regulating the activity of the chromosomes in our body as well as much more diverse functions such as regulating when plants flower. Crucially, some of these newly discovered RNA molecules which do not encode proteins are kept in the same cellular compartment as our genome i.e the nucleus, whereas the mRNAs which make proteins are transported to the cytoplasm. How the cell decides which RNAs to move to the cytoplasm and which to keep in the nucleus is currently not clear. In this project we will establish how the sorting mechanism works which decides whether RNAs should stay in the nucleus or move to the cytoplasm.