Architectural RNAs in membraneless organelle assembly
Among thousands of long noncoding RNAs and other RNA categories, such as pre-mRNAs, specific subsets are defined as architectural RNAs (arcRNAs), a distinct class essential for assembling membraneless organelles (MLOs).
arcRNAs efficiently sequester specific sets of RNA-binding proteins that promote phase separation, driving MLO formation through this mechanism.
NEAT1_2, a model arcRNA, acts as a blueprint for paraspeckle architecture via the cooperative contributions of modular RNA domains.
An experimental–theoretical framework proposes that NEAT1_2 functions like a block copolymer, assembling paraspeckles through a micellization process. arcRNAs regulate gene expression by controlling MLOs through three distinct modes of action.
Eukaryotic genomes produce thousands of transcripts with potential arcRNA characteristics, although their identities remain experimentally unvalidated.
https://www.cell.com/trends/genetics/fulltext/S0168-9525(25)00127-1
