Non-coding RNA Expression, Function, and Variation during Drosophila Embryogenesis (Current Biology)

Schor et al. identify hundreds of new lncRNAs expressed at specific embryonic stages and in mesoderm. Many have very specific spatiotemporal expression. Deletion of 3 lncRNAs are viable with no obvious phenotypes, even when stressed. Many lncRNAs have strain-specific expression, highlighting how sequence variation leads to intergenic transcription.