Role of lncRNA in melanoma cell compartmentalization and therapy resistance

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts of more than 200 nucleotides, without protein-coding potential, that display stage and cancer-specific expression. Despite being lowly expressed, lncRNAs can exert key biological functions by modulating the compartmentalisation of other molecules. In particular their role in the formation of membrane-less bodies is starting to emerge. The laboratory for RNA Cancer Biology has recently shown that critical environmental cues induce a rewiring of the RNA network and reprogram the cells towards a therapy resistant and invasive phenotype. The goal of my project will be to identify lncRNA-dependent changes in protein compartmentalisation and to evaluate their role in therapy resistance.