Abstract: Non-coding RNAs (ncRANs), abounding in higher organisms, form a very complex network of biological regulation, which is the hotspot of biomedicine in recent years. Three kinds of ncRANs, small interfering RNA (siRNA), microRNA (miRNA) and PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), are important members of this regulating network. Recent studies showed that ncRNAs play key regulatory roles in the development, differentiation and apoptosis of germ cells during gametogenesis and the steroidogenesis by the machinery silence transposable elements and their regulating effects on the expression of target genes. Ovarian dysfunction such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and premature ovarian failure (POF) could be related with the aberrant regulation of ncRNAs. In this paper, we summarized the research progress of ncRNAs in follicular development, spermatogenesis and embryonic development.

Key words: RNA, small interfering, MicroRNAs, Germ cells, Ovarian diseases, Non-coding RNA, PIWI-interacting RNA