microRNA involvement in developmental and functional aspects of the nervous system and in neurological diseases

microRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, are emerging as important regulatory molecules involved in the fine-tuning of gene expression during neuronal development and function. microRNAs have roles during neuronal stem cell commitment and early differentiation as well as in later stages of neuronal development, such as dendritogenesis and synaptic plasticity. A link between microRNAs and neurological diseases, such as neurodegeneration or synaptic dysfunction, is becoming increasingly clear. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the function of microRNAs in the developing and adult nervous system and their potential contribution to the etiology of neurological diseases.