Fig. 1

LncRNAs in the immune response (a) LincRNA-COX-2 is localised 3′ of the COX2 gene and shows expression on stimulation of Pam3Csk4 in bone marrow-derived macrophages of mouse. It has widespread effects on expression of inflammatory genes, transcription repression of anti-inflammatory genes in non-stimulated cells and enhances the expression of proinflammatory genes on exposure of Pam3Csk4 through an interaction with hnRNP-A/B and hnRNP-A1/B1 [7, 22]. b THRIL was identified as an antisense lncRNA using human THP1 macrophages (overlapping BRI3BP) that enhances transcription of TNF by constituting a complex with hnRNPL and binding to the promoter of TNF [10, 23]. THRIL shows basal expression; but, the expression is decreased in a negative feedback loop after the induction of TNF-α release by Pam3Csk4 [10, 23]. THRIL also has a regulatory role in basal and Pam3Csk4-induced gene expression. c PACER is localised upstream of the Cox2 transcriptional start site and is shows expression in the antisense direction. PACER induced COX2 expression by inhibiting the repressive action of the p50 homodimer (of NF-kB) bound at Cox2 promoter site [21] (d) Lnc-DC expression is essential for differentiation of human monocytes into dendritic cells. Lnc-DC promotes STAT3 phosphorylation via inhibiting the action of Src homology region 2 domain- containing phosphatase-1 (SHP-1) [20]