This is a small RNA, roughly 53–61 nucleotides in length, that is processed from a much longer ncRNA called MALAT1 by an enzyme called RNase P.[1] This RNA is expressed in many different human tissues, is highly conserved by evolution and shares a remarkable similarity to tRNA which is also produced by RNase P, yet this RNA is not aminoacylated in HeLa cells.

[2] Another small RNA that is homologous to mascRNA, called menRNA, is processed from another long ncRNA called MEN beta.

[3] MALAT1 appears to be involved in the regulation of alternative splicing.

MALAT1 interacts with SR proteins, influencing the distribution of these in nuclear speckle domains.

[4] This molecular or cell biology article is a stub.