Different classes of non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs, have recently been 
implicated in the process of tumourigenesis. In this study, we examined the 
expression and putative functions of a novel class of non-coding RNAs known as 
transcribed ultraconserved regions (T-UCRs) in neuroblastoma. Genome-wide 
expression profiling revealed correlations between specific T-UCR expression 
levels and important clinicogenetic parameters such as MYCN amplification 
status. A functional genomics approach based on the integration of multi-level 
transcriptome data was adapted to gain insights into T-UCR functions. 
Assignments of T-UCRs to cellular processes such as TP53 response, 
differentiation and proliferation were verified using various cellular model 
systems. For the first time, our results define a T-UCR expression landscape in 
neuroblastoma and suggest widespread T-UCR involvement in diverse cellular 
processes that are deregulated in the process of tumourigenesis.