While some lincRNAs can regulate gene expression in cis11,24,25, determining the precise proportion of cis regulators requires more direct experimental approaches. We note that our results are consistent with observed correlations between lincRNAs and neighbouring genes2,26, which may represent shared upstream regulation2,12 or local transcriptional effects10,27. In addition, the lincRNAs studied here should be distinguished from transcripts that are produced at enhancer sites8,9, the function of which has yet to be determined.
