Recent advances in modern technology have led to the understanding that not all genetic information is coded into protein and that the genomes of each and every organism including insects produce non-coding RNAs that can control different biological processes. Among RNAs identified in the last decade, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent a repertoire of a hidden layer of internal signals that can regulate gene expression in physiological, pathological, and immunological processes. Evidence shows the importance of lncRNAs in the regulation of host-pathogen interactions. In this review, an attempt has been made to view the role of lncRNAs regulating immune responses in insects.
Keywords: immunity; insects; long non-coding RNAs; silkworm.