cis-Antisense RNA and Transcriptional Interference: Coupled Layers of Gene Regulation

Antisense transcription is omnipresent occurring broadly in most living organisms. Growing evidence suggests the presence of noncoding cis-antisense RNA's that can silence gene expression. Recent studies also indicate the role of transcriptional interference in regulating expression of neighboring genes arranged in convergent orientation. A combination of transcriptional interference and cis-antisense RNA interaction has the potential to add multiple-levels of regulation which can allow such a system to have a tunable and complex higher-order system response to environmental stimuli. This presents an important insight into the functional role of antisense transcription.