The central dogma of molecular biology states that DNA is transcribed into RNA, which in turn is translated into proteins. We now know, however, that as much as 50% of the transcriptome has no protein-coding potential, but rather represents an important class of regulatory molecules responsible for the finetuning of gene expression. Although the role of small regulatory RNAs [microRNAs and siRNAs (small interfering RNA)] is well defined, another much less characterized category of non-coding transcripts exists, namely lncRNAs (long non-coding RNAs). Pervasively expressed by eukaryotic genomes, lncRNAs can be kilobases long and regulate their targets by influencing the epigenetic control, chromatin status, mRNA processing or translation capacity of their targets. In the present review, I outline the potential mechanisms of action of lncRNAs, the cellular processes that have been associated with them, and also explore some of the emerging evidence for their involvement in common human disease.
