title: Lingering Questions about Enhancer RNA and Enhancer Transcription-Coupled Genomic Instability.
abstract: Intergenic and intragenic enhancers found inside topologically associated regulatory domains (TADs) express noncoding RNAs, known as enhancer RNAs (eRNAs). Recent studies have indicated these eRNAs play a role in gene regulatory networks by controlling promoter and enhancer interactions and topology of higher-order chromatin structure. Misregulation of enhancer and promoter associated noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) could stabilize deleterious secondary DNA structures, noncoding RNA associated DNA/RNA hybrid formation, and promote collisions of transcription complexes with replisomes. It is revealing that many chromosomal aberrations, some associated with malignancies, are present inside enhancer and/or promoter sequences. Here, we expand on current concepts to discuss enhancer RNAs and enhancer transcription, and how enhancer transcription influences genomic organization and integrity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Gerson
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rothschild
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: ub2121@cumc.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Uttiya
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Basu
mesh_terms: D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks / Q000235:genetics; D042822:Genomic Instability / Q000235:genetics; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D004247:DNA
keywords: RNA exosome; bidirectional transcription; enhancer RNA; enhancer transcription; long noncoding RNA