Re‐evaluating the foundations of lnc RNA –Polycomb function

Abstract

Many lnc RNA s are thought to interact with the polycomb repressive complex 2 ( PRC 2) in order to regulate gene expression. A central example of this lnc RNA – PRC 2 paradigm in gene regulation is HOTAIR . In this issue of The EMBO Journal, a study (Portoso et al, ) reports that while HOTAIR binds PRC 2 with high affinity, the complex itself is dispensable for HOTAIR ‐mediated transcriptional silencing. This study raises important questions about the role of PRC 2 interactions for lnc RNA ‐mediated functions and argues for a re‐evaluation of this lnc RNA – PRC 2 functional paradigm.