Non Coding Rnas

This contributed volume offers a comprehensive and detailed overview of the various aspects of long non-coding RNAs and discusses their emerging significance. Written by leading experts in the field, it motivates young researchers around the globe, and offers graduate and postgraduate students fascinating insights into genes and their regulation in eukaryotes and higher organisms.

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are an attractive research field in the RNA world. ncRNAs play important roles in regulating gene expression in animals, plants, and various human diseases. It is clear that current and further research on ncRNAs will change our knowledge of the nature of genome composition by editing previous dogmas. This book provides an overview of current knowledge on ncRNA research by dealing with miRNA and ncRNA-related human diseases, plant miRNA markers, and the roles of lncRNAs in cancer and epigenetics.

The ‘RNA world’ hypothesis that proposed RNA molecules as the first form of genetic material was put forwarded in the late 1980s but got impetus only recently when high-throughput sequencing technologies began unearthing new types of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) transcripts in higher eukaryotes. Till then, research on ncRNAs were primarily confined to transfer RNAs and, ribosomal RNAs, which act as the messengers of the protein synthesis and allow translation of genetic information encoded by DNA into proteins. In recent years, the integration of high-throughput genomic technologies with molecular biology and omics sciences have revolutionized the fields of ncRNA research by identifying the hidden treasures of several new types of ncRNAs encoded in the genomes of several organisms and decrypting their versatile roles in gene expression and epigenetics. Among these, two small endogenous ncRNAs, namely microRNAs (miRNAs) and piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) that drive argonaute (AGO) family of proteins namely Ago and Piwi respectively and silence the expression of genes have geared up molecular and disease biology research in recent years. Both miRNAs and piRNAs are expressed in higher eukaryotes, including human and act as cellular rheostats by regulating the expression of significant fraction of genes encoded in the genomes. The aberrant expressions of these small ncRNAs within the cells cause various abnormalities and diseases including cancer. Manipulating their aberrant expression or function can serve as potential novel diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and bring in new therapeutic strategies for multiple human diseases. This can be further translated from bench-side to clinic for improving human health. This book captures the essence of the pioneering work of some of the world’s leading researchers showcasing the scientific excitements surrounding the evolving regulatory roles of miRNAs and piRNAs highlighting their potential towards the diagnosis and therapeutics of various diseases. The book is geared towards scientists, students, and will particularly appeal to active investigators in RNA biology, molecular biology, cancer research as well as clinicians and will provide them a comprehensive view of recent discoveries and research progresses to utilize miRNAs, piRNAs and their interacting proteins, Ago and Piwi for diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutics of diseases. Provides a unified cutting-edge resource for both miRNAs and piRNAs, two promising AGO-clade small ncRNAs, their functions and potential applications Showcase high-throughput technologies and other approaches for discovery of these small ncRNAs and their targets Unveils the diverse molecular mechanisms by which miRNAs and piRNAs regulate gene expression in animal cells Showcase recent discoveries on involvement of Argonaute and Piwi proteins in different biological processes and diseases as well as their possible use in diagnosis Report breakthroughs in the use of small ncRNAs for diagnosis and personalized therapy

Navigating Non-coding RNA: From Biogenesis to Therapeutic Application provides a concise overview of the field of non-coding RNA (ncRNA). Chapters cover the history of discoveries that have occurred in the area of ncRNA, specific types of ncRNA, housekeeping ncRNAs such as ribosomal RNA, transfer RNA, small nuclear RNA and telomerase RNA, regulatory ncRNAs such as microRNA, small interfering RNA, long non-coding RNA and Y RNA. Biogenesis, structure, function, and regulation of each of these are also explored in addition to traditional and cutting-edge methods for the identification, functional characterization and structural characterization of ncRNA. The book also focuses on the different types of epitranscriptomic modifications and their involvement in regulating ncRNA structure, stability and intermolecular interactions in addition to the role of ncRNAs in a range of diseases and potential therapeutic applications. Covers a wide range of non-coding RNAs, including ribosomal RNA, transfer RNA, telomerase RNA, microRNA, small interfering RNA and circular RNA Features both traditional and novel methodologies for investigating ncRNA, from microarray and conventional chemical probing to CAGE-seq and computational methods Includes chapters on ncRNAs in a range of diseases, including cancers, neurological disorders, cardiovascular conditions and infectious illnesses Discusses novel therapeutic strategies for targeting ncRNAs, including CRISP/Ca9 applications and RNAi-based strategies Explores the molecular mechanisms and intermolecular interactions of ncRNA

General inspection of a role performed in the cell by RNAs allows us to distinguish three major groups of transcripts: I. protein-coding mRNAs, II. non-coding housekeeping and III. regulatory RNAs. The housekeeping RNAs include RNA classes that are generally, constitutively expressed and whose presence is required for normal function and viability of the cells. On the other hand, a group of regulatory RNAs includes RNA species that are expressed at certain stages of organism development or cell differentiation or as a response to external stimuli and can affect expression of other genes on the levels of transcription or translation. Non-coding RNA transcripts form a heterogeneous class of RNAs that can not be characterized by a single specific function. Initially, the term non-coding RNA (ncRNA) was used primarily to describe polyadenylated and a capped eukaryotic RNAs transcribed by RNA polymerase II, but lacking long open reading frames. Now, this definition can be extended to cover all RNA transcripts that do not show protein-coding capacity and is sometimes used to describe any RNA that does not encode protein, including introns. This book is an in-depth look at the function of Non-Coding RNAs and their relationship to Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology.

Cancer and Noncoding RNAs offers an in-depth exploration of noncoding RNAs and their role in epigenetic regulation of complex human disease, most notably cancer. In addition to examining microRNAs, this volume provides a unique evaluation of more recently profiled noncoding RNAs now implicated in carcinogenesis, including lncRNAs, piRNAs, circRNAs, and tRNAs, identifying differences in function between these noncoding RNAs and how they interact with the rest of the epigenome. A broad range of chapters from experts in the field detail epigenetic regulation of various cancer types, along with recent next generation sequencing technologies, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and bioinformatics approaches. This book will help researchers in genomic medicine and cancer biology better understand the role of noncoding RNAs in epigenetics, aiding in the development of useful biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and new RNA-based disease therapies. Provides a comprehensive analysis of noncoding RNAs implicated in epigenetic regulation of gene expression and chromatin dynamics Educates researchers and graduate students by highlighting, in addition to miRNAs, a range of noncoding RNAs newly associated with carcinogenesis Applies current knowledge of noncoding RNAs and epigenomics towards developing cancer and RNA-based disease therapies Features contributions by leading experts in the field

This book presents a state-of-the-art compilation of articles on the role of non-coding RNAs as pivotal molecules for establishing functional relationships between different organisms. It also describes how non-coding RNA molecules can act as dynamic communication devices and how they modulate the interaction between different kingdoms. It describes examples including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and higher organisms such as protozoa that are involved in pathogenic or symbiotic interactions, and the roles of different families of non-coding RNAs within these relationships. Each chapter provides readers molecular and functional insights, breaking down the subjacent mechanisms and exploring their functional implications and future applications. More than sixty years after the foundation of the “RNA tie club” by George Gamow, new roles for non-coding RNA molecules are starting to be revealed.