Neurodevelopmental disorders and neurotoxicity: MicroRNA in focus

Controlled protein synthesis in different cell types is a prerequisite for the proper development and functioning of organs. Alterations in proteostasis either due to neurotoxicants (biological, chemical, or genetic) or aging promotes neuronal degeneration and result in the development of neurological disorders. Gene expression is controlled at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and translational levels to maintain the proteostasis of the cells. The complexity of gene regulatory networks increases during nervous system development and regulates the formation of neuronal and glial cells from a common progenitor cell. Complex features of brain development, brain maturation, and brain function are achieved by overlapping molecular networks of gene regulatory circuits. Gene expression alterations or dysregulation by either genetic, biological, or environmental insults during brain development results in neurodevelopmental disorders. Discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) has opened a new window and provides an opportunity to understand molecular mechanisms of complex gene regulatory networks. Here, we review all the important and recent findings available so far in the literature, which deals with the regulation and role of miRNAs in neurodevelopmental disorders and neurotoxicity.