Emerging roles of noncoding RNAs in T cell differentiation and functions in autoimmune diseases

Abstract

Noncoding RNA comprises of microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that are abundantly present in mammalian transcriptome. These noncoding RNAs have been implicated in multiple biological processes through the regulation of gene expression. Each of these noncoding RNAs were found to have multiple genes targets. Emerging literature indicated the role of noncoding RNAs in shaping the immune responses which include immune cell development, helper T (Th) cell differentiation as well as maintenance of immune homeostasis by inducing the interplay between effector and regulatory T cells. Dysregulated expression and functions of noncoding RNAs in the immune system leads to aberrations in immune response that lead to the induction of tissue inflammation in autoimmune diseases. In this review, we summarize the current advances of post-transcriptional regulation, focusing on the functions of noncoding RNAs (miRNAs and lncRNAs) during differentiation of Th cells in tissue inflammation in autoimmune diseases.

Keywords:

• Noncoding RNA
• LncRNA
• miRNA
• Th cell differentiation
• Tissue inflammation
• Autoimmune diseases

This work was supported by Wellcome Trust/DBT India alliance intermediate fellowship (IA/I/12/1/500524), Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and Core grant of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute. SR was supported by a PhD fellowship from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Wellcome Trust/DBT India alliance intermediate fellowship (IA/I/12/1/500524), Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and Core grant of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute. SR was supported by a PhD fellowship from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India.