The role of long non-coding RNAs in cardiac development and disease

Cells display a set of RNA molecules at one time point, reflecting thus the cellular transcriptional steady state, configuring therefore its transcriptome. It is basically composed of two different classes of RNA molecules; protein-coding RNAs (cRNAs) and protein non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Sequencing of the human genome and subsequently the ENCODE project identified that more than 80% of the genome is transcribed in some type of RNA. Importantly, only 3% of these transcripts correspond to protein-coding RNAs, pointing that ncRNAs are as important or even more as cRNAs. ncRNAs have pivotal roles in development, differentiation and disease. Non-coding RNAs can be classified into two distinct classes according to their length; i.e., small (<200 nt) and long (>200 nt) noncoding RNAs. The structure, biogenesis and functional roles of small non-coding RNA have been widely studied, particularly for microRNAs (miRNAs). In contrast to microRNAs, our current understanding of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is limited. In this manuscript, we provide state-of-the art review of the functional roles of long non-coding RNAs during cardiac development as well as an overview of the emerging role of these ncRNAs in distinct cardiac diseases.