Small RNAs: a new frontier in mosquito biology

• The discovery of small non-coding RNAs has revolutionized our understanding of regulatory networks governing multiple functions in animals and plants.
• However, our knowledge of mosquito small RNAs is limited.
• We discuss the state of current knowledge regarding the roles of small RNAs and their targets in mosquitoes.
• We describe the ongoing efforts to understand the role of microRNAs in governing functions activated by blood-feeding, and the involvement of small interfering and Piwi RNA pathways in mosquito antiviral immunity and transposon silencing.

The discovery of small non-coding RNAs has revolutionized our understanding of regulatory networks governing multiple functions in animals and plants. However, our knowledge of mosquito small RNAs is limited. We discuss here the state of current knowledge regarding the roles of small RNAs and their targets in mosquitoes, and describe the ongoing efforts to understand the role of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway in mosquito antiviral immunity and transposon silencing. Providing a clear picture into the role of small RNAs in mosquito vectors will pave the way to the utilization of these small molecules in developing novel control approaches that target mosquito immunity and/or reproductive events. Elucidation of the functions of small RNAs represents a new frontier in mosquito biology.