Epigenetics, present a new discipline that attempts to explain significant differences in phenotypes among patients with the same disease. In contrast to the other epigenetic mechanisms that modulate gene transcription, non-coding RNAs act at the post-transcriptional level. They directly modulate the gene expression of mRNA genes leading to mRNA target cleavage and degradation and translation r...

Small non-coding RNAs with important regulatory roles are not confined to eukaryotes. Recent studies have led to the identification of numerous small regulatory RNAs in Escherichia coli and in other bacteria. As in eukaryotic cells, a major class of these small RNAs acts by base-pairing with target mRNAs, resulting in changes in the translation and stability of the mRNA. Roles for these non-cod...

The past two decades have seen an explosion in research on non-coding RNAs and their physiological and pathological functions. Several classes of small (20-30 nucleotides) and long (>200 nucleotides) non-coding RNAs have been firmly established as key regulators of gene expression in myriad processes ranging from embryonic development to innate immunity. In this review, we focus on our current ...