Genome-wide mapping of SNPs in non-coding RNAs

Abstract

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are essential players that participate in multiple cellular processes. Cumulative evidence has linked ncRNA-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to various human diseases. However, the knowledge of ncRNA-related SNPs and their potential functional mechanisms in human disease need to be further discovered. Here, we reviewed related studies on functional SNPs in two main types of ncRNA, microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), with a particular focus on these ncRNA-related SNPs as novel risk factor of disease etiology. These studies will gain global insights into the relationship between ncRNAs and their functions.