MicroRNAs and the Response to Stress

Abstract MicroRNA (miRNA) is dynamic and influential molecules that have an important function in both brain development and its adaption to stress. In this chapter, we detail the role of miRNA in mediating the brain's response to both prenatal and postnatal environmental perturbations and explore how stress-induced alterations in miRNA expression can regulate the stress response via modulation of the immune system. We affirm that miRNA hold a significant position at the molecular crossroads between neural development and the stress response. A greater understanding of the dynamics that mediate an individual's predisposition to stress-induced neuropathology has major human health benefits and is an important area of research.