Progress and prospects of long noncoding RNAs in lipid homeostasis.

Abstract Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a novel group of universally present, non-coding RNAs (>200 nt) that are increasingly recognized as key regulators of many physiological and pathological processes. Scope of review Recent publications have shown that lncRNAs influence lipid homeostasis by controlling lipid metabolism in the liver and by regulating adipogenesis. lncRNAs control lipid metabolism-related gene expression by either base-pairing with RNA and DNA or by binding to proteins. Major conclusions The recent advances and future prospects in understanding the roles of lncRNAs in lipid homeostasis are discussed.