To code or not to code?

Abstract

Elementary cellular biology teaches that proteins are the main actors within cells. In addition, the DNA carries genetic information and the mRNA serves as the go-between molecule to create protein using the genetic code from the DNA. Recent advances in sequencing technologies have revealed that a large portion of our DNA is transcribed even though it does not appear to encode proteins. Further studies have shown that many of these non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) serve regulatory functions within cells. Here, we examine the role of such molecules in the regulation of the circadian clock system as illustration of the wider ways in which ncRNAs can influence cellular processes.