Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in numerous biological processes and are pivotal mediators of the immune response, yet little is known about their properties at the single-cell level. Here, we generate a multi-tissue bulk RNAseq dataset from Ebola virus (EBOV) infected and not-infected rhesus macaques and identified 3979 novel lncRNAs. To profile lncRNA expression dynamics in immune circulating single-cells during EBOV infection, we design a metric, Upsilon, to estimate cell-type specificity. Our analysis reveals that lncRNAs are expressed in fewer cells than protein-coding genes, but they are not expressed at lower levels nor are they more cell-type specific when expressed in the same number of cells. In addition, we observe that lncRNAs exhibit similar changes in expression patterns to those of protein-coding genes during EBOV infection, and are often co-expressed with known immune regulators. A few lncRNAs change expression specifically upon EBOV entry in the cell. This study sheds light on the differential features of lncRNAs and protein-coding genes and paves the way for future single-cell lncRNA studies.
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 bp that lack protein-coding potential. LncRNAs play important roles in a myriad of processes, such as development<a data-track="click" data-track-action="reference anchor" data-track-label="link" data-test="citation-ref" aria-label="Reference 1" title="Delás, M. J. & Hannon, G. J. lncRNAs in development and disease: from functions to mechanisms. Open Biol. 7,