MicroRNA regulation of neural plasticity and memory

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous, small non-coding RNAs that mediate post-transcriptional gene silencing by complementary binding to the 3′untranslated region of target mRNAs. The transient and localized expression of these small RNAs in dendrites, their capacity to respond in an activity-dependent manner, and the observation that a single miRNA can simultaneously regulate many genes, make brain-specific miRNAs ideal candidates for the fine-tuning of gene expression associated with neural plasticity and memory formation. Here we provide an overview of the current literature, which supports the proposal that non-coding RNA-mediated regulation of gene function represents an important, yet underappreciated, layer of epigenetic control that contributes to learning and memory in the adult brain.

► MicroRNAs are a class of small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene function by inhibiting translation and/or facilitating degradation of target RNAs.
► A single microRNA can simultaneously regulate many genes.
► MicroRNAs may regulate neural plasticity and memory in three, distinct, but interrelated ways.