FA-SAT ncRNA interactome

FA-SAT is a satellite DNA sequence present and transcribed in many Bilateria species, what may anticipate a conserved and significant function in these genomes. Here we prove that in cat and human cells, FA-SAT satellite transcripts play a nuclear function at the G1 phase of the cell cycle. We identified and demonstrated that the main FA-SAT non-coding RNA interactor is the PKM2 protein. Our work shows that the disruption of the FA-SAT ncRNA/PKM2 protein complex, by the depletion of either FA-SAT or PKM2, results in the same phenotype—apoptosis. Moreover, the ectopic overexpression of FA-SAT in tumour human cells did not affect the cell cycle progression. In sum, our data reveal a new player, FA-SAT RNA, a non-coding satellite RNA, which interacts with the PKM2 nuclear protein. This ribonucleoprotein is involved in apoptosis and cell cycle progression, what foresees a promising new target for studies in cancer processes that rely on these pathways.