Genome-Transcriptome-Proteome Triad

The buzz has mostly been about the three entities separately. I was trying to squeeze out a proposal for my research project for a fellowship application. Was doodling on a piece of paper.

Drawing first genetic interactions: epistasis, linkage. Then RNA interactions, among themselves, where for example you can have 22-nucleotide microRNAs (miRNA) interacting with messenger RNAs (mRNA) or you can also have RNAs regulating genes (pretty good symposium review: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1088955/). Finally, proteome can be regulated by RNAs, such as tRNA, and they can also regulate the genes via transcription factors. Basically, I drew some edges and nodes on a scrap piece of paper.

The same day, I stumbled upon this article in ScienceDaily:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013121514.htm

Four Cell papers, published back to back. I haven't read the papers but four independent studies showing the influence of non-coding RNAs and its networks in cancer, on four different ncRNAs: long coding, miRNA, mRNA and a new ceRNA (pronounced SIR-na, competing endogenous RNA)... It shows that it seems quite a big deal. But I thought it's quite obvious for the levels in the central dogma to be interconnected. Perhaps the novelty lies in the context. 

I am working on ncRNAs for now too. So might actually good to take a look at the papers.