Long Non-Coding RNAs and Their Involvement in Testicular Pathologies

Abstract

Although the portion of the genome devoted to protein synthesis is very small, it is now known that almost
the entire genome is expressed as non-coding RNAs. Among them, there are long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs).
Despite that lncRNAs have been very poorly studied, they have recently started to focus the attention of
researchers, as it has been found out that lncRNAs can perform diverse functions in the regulation of gene
expression. Moreover, their involvement in pathologies is being revealed. Intriguingly, the amount of
lncRNAs in the testis is overwhelmingly higher than in any other analyzed organ or tissue. LncRNA
expression profiles significantly vary along spermatogenesis, and some evidence suggests that at least some of them could
participate in the formation of male germ cells. However, knowledge on the subject is still very scarce. In this
work we review the available information on the expression of lncRNAs in testis and their possible roles. We
also analyze some examples that illustrate the participation of lncRNAs in the development of pathologies such
as infertility and testicular cancer.