title: Non-Coding RNAs in Transcriptional Regulation: The review forCurrent Molecular Biology Reports.
abstract: Transcriptional gene silencing guided by small RNAs is a process conserved from protozoa to mammals. Small RNAs loaded into Argonaute family proteins direct repressive histone modifications or DNA cytosine methylation to homologous regions of the genome. Small RNA-mediated transcriptional silencing is required for many biological processes, including repression of transposable elements, maintaining the genome stability/integrity, and epigenetic inheritance of gene expression. Here we will summarize the current knowledge about small RNA biogenesis and mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in plants,Drosophila,C. elegansand mice. Furthermore, a rapidly growing number long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated as important players in transcription regulation. We will discuss current models for long non-coding RNA-mediated gene regulation.
authors.affiliation: California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 147-75, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Yung-Chia Ariel
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, 147-75, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Alexei A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Aravin
keywords: Argonaute; Piwi; RdDM; TGS; lncRNA; small RNA