Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0215, USA.
Trends Biochem Sci. 2012 Apr;37(4):144-51. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2011.12.003. Epub 2012 Feb 1.
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are now recognized as active participants in controlling many biological processes. Indeed, these products of transcription can even control the process of transcription itself. In the past several years, ncRNAs have been found to regulate transcription of single genes, as well as entire transcriptional programs, affecting the expression of hundreds to thousands of genes in response to developmental or environmental signals. Compared to more classical protein regulators, the list of ncRNAs that regulate mRNA transcription in mammalian cells is still small; however, the rate at which new ncRNA transcriptional regulators are being discovered is rapid, suggesting that models for how gene expression is controlled will continue to be redefined as this field develops.
非编码 RNA（ncRNAs）现在被认为是参与调控许多生物过程的活跃参与者。事实上，这些转录产物甚至可以控制转录本身的过程。在过去的几年中，人们发现 ncRNAs 可以调节单个基因的转录，以及整个转录程序，从而响应发育或环境信号影响数百到数千个基因的表达。与更经典的蛋白质调节剂相比，调节哺乳动物细胞 mRNA 转录的 ncRNA 列表仍然很小；然而，新的 ncRNA 转录调节剂被发现的速度很快，这表明随着该领域的发展，关于基因表达如何受到调控的模型将继续被重新定义。
