Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of transcription, often functioning as trans-acting factors akin to prototypical protein transcriptional regulators. Inside cells, ncRNAs are now known to control transcription of single genes as well as entire transcriptional programs in response to developmental and environmental cues. In doing so, they target nearly all levels of the transcription process from regulating chromatin structure through controlling transcript elongation. Moreover, trans-acting ncRNA transcriptional regulators have been found in organisms as diverse as bacteria and humans. With the recent discovery that much of the DNA in genomes is transcribed into ncRNAs with yet unknown function, it is likely that future studies will reveal many more ncRNA regulators of transcription.

非编码 RNA (ncRNA) 已成为转录的关键调节因子，通常充当类似于原型蛋白质转录调节因子的反式作用因子。在细胞内部，ncRNA 现在已知可以控制单个基因的转录以及响应发育和环境线索的整个转录程序。在这样做时，他们针对几乎所有水平的转录过程，从调节染色质结构到控制转录本延伸。此外，已经在细菌和人类等多种多样的生物体中发现了反式作用的 ncRNA 转录调节因子。随着最近发现基因组中的大部分 DNA 被转录成功能未知的 ncRNA，未来的研究很可能会揭示更多的 ncRNA 转录调节因子。