Growth arrest-specific 5 is a non-protein coding

RNA Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydra ...

that in humans is encoded by the GAS5

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

. GAS5

noncoding RNA A non-coding RNA (ncRNA) is a functional RNA molecule that is not translated into a protein. The DNA sequence from which a functional non-coding RNA is transcribed is often called an RNA gene. Abundant and functionally important types of non- ...

, which accumulates in growth arrested cells, acts as a decoy

hormone response element Response elements are short sequences of DNA within a gene promoter or enhancer region that are able to bind specific transcription factors and regulate transcription of genes. Under conditions of stress, a transcription activator protein binds ...

for the

glucocorticoid receptor The glucocorticoid receptor (GR, or GCR) also known as NR3C1 (nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 1) is the receptor to which cortisol and other glucocorticoids bind. The GR is expressed in almost every cell in the body and regulates ...

(GR) and hence blocks the upregulation of gene expression by activated GR. A number of studies have linked GAS5 to

apoptosis Apoptosis (from grc, ἀπόπτωσις, apóptōsis, 'falling off') is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (morphology) and death. These changes incl ...

and it may play a role in the progression of some types of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

. The GAS5 introns host several

snoRNA In molecular biology, Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are a class of small RNA molecules that primarily guide chemical modifications of other RNAs, mainly ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs and small nuclear RNAs. There are two main classes of snoRNA, ...

sequences, including SNORD81, SNORD47, SNORD80, SNORD79, SNORD78, SNORD44, SNORD77, SNORD76, SNORD75 and SNORD74. These intronic sequences are more conserved than the exons of the host gene, these sorts of genes are often called "inside-out genes". It was recently discovered that the nonsense-mediated degradation pathway can regulate the function of the GAS5 in mammalian cells.

References

Further reading