The role of microRNAs in mammalian oocytes and embryos

Advanced genomic analysis has revealed an enormous inventory of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which are functionally important at transcriptional and post-transcriptional level for different cellular processes. Among the ncRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) have recently been highlighted extensively for their pivotal role in disease, fertility and development through post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. The presence and spatio-temporal expression of miRNAs and miRNA processing machinery genes in oocytes and preimplantation embryos has evidenced the involvement of miRNAs for growth and maturation of mammalian oocytes, early embryonic development, stem cell lineage differentiation and implantation. Therefore, this article aims to highlight primary evidences on the importance of miRNAs and their mediated translational reprogramming in the physiology and development of mammalian oocytes and embryos.