Long non-coding RNAs: new players in mammalian female gametogenesis

New advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have revealed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as functional RNA molecules with a crucial role during human early embryo development. Although lncRNAs lack protein-coding function, they have emerged as key regulators of protein-coding genes, acting at different steps of gene expression, from chromatin architecture and epigenetic to transcription, RNA splicing, editing, and translation. Here we review the existing lncRNA classification, nomenclature and molecular function. Then, we discuss the current understanding of lncRNAs in reproductive biology. LncRNAs could be novel biomarkers of oocyte quality in reproductive medicine or ART and could be potential new molecular targets for new drugs for many infertility disorders in the future.