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Reference.org
Cis-natural antisense transcript
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<p>Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) are a group of <a href="/facts/RNA/HxPeNfNj">RNAs</a> encoded within a cell that have transcript complementarity to other RNA transcripts. They have been identified in multiple <a href="/facts/Eukaryote/SkwyPLMA">eukaryotes</a>, including humans, mice, yeast and <i><a href="/facts/Arabidopsis_thaliana/wt2IMJsC">Arabidopsis thaliana</a></i>. This class of RNAs includes both protein-coding and non-coding RNAs. Current evidence has suggested a variety of regulatory roles for NATs, such as <a href="/facts/RNA_interference/oJRWBXJH">RNA interference</a> (RNAi), <a href="/facts/Alternative_splicing/nNRwPVNK">alternative splicing</a>, <a href="/facts/Genomic_imprinting/WPD8DaA4">genomic imprinting</a>, and <a href="/facts/X-inactivation/wMWHzvcw">X-chromosome inactivation</a>. NATs are broadly grouped into two categories based on whether they act in cis or in trans. Trans-NATs are transcribed from a different location than their targets and usually have complementarity to multiple transcripts with some mismatches. <a href="/facts/MicroRNA/UjqbYYpe">MicroRNAs</a> (miRNA) are an example of trans-NATs that can target multiple transcripts with a few mismatches. Cis-natural antisense transcripts (cis-NATs) on the other hand are transcribed from the same genomic <a href="/facts/Locus_(genetics)/JcIT8wLm">locus</a> as their target but from the opposite DNA strand and form perfect pairs. </p>