MicroRNAs and Ethanol Toxicity

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small nonprotein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that have been shown to promote the degradation of target messenger RNAs and inhibit the translation of networks of protein-coding genes to control the development of cells and tissues, and facilitate their adaptation to environmental forces. In this chapter, we will discuss recent data that show that miRNAs are an important component of the epigenetic landscape that regulates the transcription as well as the translation of protein-coding gene networks. We will discuss the evidence that implicates miRNAs in both developmental and adult effects of alcohol consumption. Understanding the interactions of this novel class of ncRNAs with the epigenome will be important for understanding the etiology of alcohol teratology and addiction as well as potential new treatment strategies.