Characteristics and significance of long non-coding RNA in depression / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Long non-coding RNA (long non-coding RNA, ln- cRNA) contains loci with transcriptional nucleotides of more than 200nt in length. As one group of the nucleotides that are similar to mRNA in molecular structure, but do not have the function of coding proteins due to the lack of open reading frame, IncRNA plays an important role in many molecular biological processes. LncRNA can express a lot of transcriptions. It has been found more than half of IncRNA highly expressed in central nervous system, and participated in maintaining normal brain function and inducing neuropsychiatric diseases, such as schizophrenia, autism and depression. Depression, as a complex and heterogeneous mental disease, is considered an important risk factor for disability and suicide. At the cellular and molecular levels, IncRNAs affect composition and function of certain specific nervous systems, such as hippocampal development and neuronal apoptosis, constituting relevant factors for the occurrence and development of depression. This article aims to review the variation characteristics of IncRNA in depression and to explore the potential possibility of IncRNA as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.