这第二版显示了长非编码RNA（lnc）RNA是如何作为基因组表观遗传调控的新范式出现的。数以千计的lncRNAs已经在各种生物体中被发现和观察到。与mRNA不同，lncRNA没有蛋白质编码能力。因此，虽然它们的功能还不完全清楚，但它们可能作为蛋白质复合物的关键组织者，使高阶调控事件得以发生。该领域的进展还包括更好地表征人类长非编码RNA，对其在人类发育和疾病中的作用有了新的认识，它们的作用机制多种多样，以及研究它们的新技术。

This second edition shows how long non-coding RNAs (lnc)RNAs have emerged as a new paradigm in epigenetic regulation of the genome. Thousands of lncRNAs have been identified and observed in a wide range of organisms. Unlike mRNA, lncRNA have no protein-coding capacity. So, while their function is not entirely clear, they may serve as key organizers of protein complexes that allow for higher order regulatory events. Advances in the field also include better characterization of human long non-coding RNAs, novel insights into their roles in human development and disease, their diverse mechanisms of action and novel technologies to study them.