Emerging roles for long noncoding RNAs in learning, memory and associated disorders

While protein-coding genes have been widely studied in learning and memory, the role of the non-coding genome has only recently been investigated. With advances in high throughput sequencing technologies and functional profiling methods, multiple long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been functionally and mechanistically linked with neurobiological processes related with learning and memory, as well disorders that lead to memory impairment. However, these macromolecules are still a subject of controversy and intense scrutiny regarding the proper criteria for determining their functionality and their evolution in the central nervous system. Recent studies have implicated multiple lncRNAs as critical regulators of gene expression in the central nervous system and mediate learning processes. In this review, we explore possible explanations for how lncRNAs are evolved in our central nervous system, discuss our current understanding of their involvement in learning and memory related disorders, and describe emerging tools for studying lncRNAs.