Cancer-associated snaR-A noncoding RNA interacts with core splicing machinery and disrupts processing of mRNA subpopulations.

RNA polymerase III (Pol III) activity in cancer is linked to the production of small noncoding (nc)RNAs that are otherwise silent in most tissues. snaR-A (small NF90-associated RNA isoform A) - a hominid-specific ncRNA shown to enhance cell proliferation, migration, and invasion - is a cancer-emergent Pol III product that remains largely uncharacterized despite promoting growth phenotypes. Here, we applied a combination of genomic and biochemical approaches to study the biogenesis and subsequent protein interactions of snaR-A and to better understand its role as a putative driver of cancer progression.

A Combinatorial Regulatory Platform Determines Expression of RNA Polymerase III Subunit RPC7α () in Cancer.

RNA polymerase III (Pol III) subunit RPC7α, which is encoded by in humans, has been linked to both tumor growth and metastasis. Accordantly, high expression is a negative prognostic factor in multiple cancer subtypes. To date, the mechanisms underlying upregulation have remained poorly defined.