Abstract

It is well known that only a small proportion of the human genome code for proteins; the rest belong to the family of RNAs that do not code for protein and are known as non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). ncRNAs are further divided into two subclasses based on size: 1) long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs; >200 nucleotides) and 2) small RNAs (<200 nucleotides). Small RNAs contain various family members that include microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), and small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs). The roles of ncRNAs, especially lncRNAs and miRNAs, are well documented in brain development, homeostasis, stress responses, and neural plasticity. It has also been reported that ncRNAs can influence the development of psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder. More recently, their roles are being investigated in suicidal behavior. In this article, we have comprehensively reviewed the findings of lncRNA and miRNA expression changes and their functions in various psychiatric disorders including suicidal behavior. We primarily focused on studies that have been done in postmortem human brain. In addition, we have briefly reviewed the role of other small RNAs (e.g. piwiRNA, siRNA, snRNA, and snoRNAs) and their expression changes in psychiatric illnesses.

Highlights

  • Non-coding RNAs are defined as RNAs that are not translated into protein

  • We found a global downregulation of miRNAs in major depressive disorder (MDD) subjects

  • In an effort to examine the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes in suicidal behavior, we examined the relationship between TNF-a and its regulatory miRNAs [29]

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Summary

INTRODUCTION

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are defined as RNAs that are not translated into protein. Proteincoding genes occupy only a small proportion (

22 SCZ and 24 Controls
18 MDD suicide and 17 Controls
32 MDD suicide and 20 Controls
LIMITATIONS
Findings
CONCLUSIONS
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