title: The central role of RNA in the genetic programming of complex organisms.
abstract: Notwithstanding lineage-specific variations, the number and type of protein-coding genes remain relatively static across the animal kingdom. By contrast there has been a massive expansion in the extent of genomic non-protein-coding sequences with increasing developmental complexity. These non-coding sequences are, in fact, transcribed in a regulated manner to produce large numbers of large and small non-protein-coding RNAs that control gene expression at many levels including chromatin architecture, post-transcriptional processing and translation. Moreover, many RNAs are edited, especially in the nervous system, which may be the basis of epigenome-environment interactions and the function of the brain.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. j.mattick@imb.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Mattick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D022661:RNA, Untranslated