Recent breakthroughs in high-throughput technologies, transcriptomics, and advances in our understanding of gene regulatory networks have enhanced our perspective on the complex interplay between parasite and host. Noncoding RNA molecules have been implicated in critical roles covering a broad range of biological processes in the Apicomplexa. Processes that are affected range from parasite development to host–parasite interactions and include interactions with epigenetic machinery and other regulatory factors. Here we review recent progress involving noncoding RNAs and their functions in the Apicomplexa, with a focus on three parasites: Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, and Cryptosporidium. We discuss the limitations and challenges of current methods applied to apicomplexan noncoding RNA study and discuss future directions in this exciting field.

最近在高通量技术、转录组学方面的突破以及我们对基因调控网络理解的进步增强了我们对寄生虫和宿主之间复杂相互作用的看法。非编码 RNA 分子参与了涵盖 Apicomplexa 中广泛的生物过程的关键作用。受影响的过程从寄生虫发育到宿主-寄生虫相互作用，包括与表观遗传机制和其他调节因素的相互作用。在这里，我们回顾了涉及非编码 RNA 及其在顶复门中的功能的最新进展，重点关注三种寄生虫：疟原虫、弓形虫和隐孢子虫. 我们讨论了当前应用于顶端复合非编码 RNA 研究的方法的局限性和挑战，并讨论了这个令人兴奋的领域的未来方向。