Long non-coding RNA-dependent transcriptional regulation in neuronal development and disease

Comprehensive analysis of the mammalian transcriptome has revealed that long noncoding RNAs (IncRNAs) may make up a large fraction of cellular transcripts. Recent years have seen a surge of studies aimed at functionally characterizing the role of IncRNAs in development and disease. In this review, we discuss new findings implicating IncRNAs in controlling development of the central nervous system (CNS). The evolution of the higher vertebrate brain has been accompanied by an increase in the levels and complexities of IncRNAs expressed within the developing nervous system. Although a limited number of CNS-expressed IncRNAs are now known to modulate the activity of proteins important for neuronal differentiation, the function of the vast majority of neuronal-expressed IncRNAs is still unknown. Topics of intense current interest include the mechanism by which CNS-expressed IncRNAs might function in epigenetic and transcriptional regulation during neuronal development, and how gain and loss of function of individual IncRNAs contribute to neurological diseases.