Recent Advances and Future Potential of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Insects

Over the last decade, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have witnessed a steep rise in interest amongst the scientific community. Because of their functional significance in several biological processes, i.e., alternative splicing, epigenetics, cell cycle, dosage compensation, and gene expression regulation, lncRNAs have transformed our understanding of RNA's regulatory potential. However, most knowledge concerning lncRNAs comes from mammals, and our understanding of the potential role of lncRNAs amongst insects remains unclear. Technological advances such as RNA-seq have enabled entomologists to profile several hundred lncRNAs in insect species, although few are functionally studied. This article will review experimentally validated lncRNAs from different insects and the lncRNAs identified via bioinformatic tools. Lastly, we will discuss the existing research challenges and the future of lncRNAs in insects.

Automated summary

Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) among scientists. LncRNAs play important roles in various biological processes, and have greatly expanded our understanding of RNA's regulatory potential. However, our knowledge of lncRNAs in insects is limited compared to mammals. This article reviews experimentally validated lncRNAs in insects, as well as lncRNAs identified through bioinformatic tools, and discusses the challenges and future prospects of studying lncRNAs in insects.