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Enhancer RNAs are an important regulatory layer of the epigenome

Abstract

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) direct a remarkable number of diverse functions in development and disease through their regulation of transcription, RNA processing and translation. Leading the charge in the RNA revolution is a class of ncRNAs that are synthesized at active enhancers, called enhancer RNAs (eRNAs). Here, we review recent insights into the biogenesis of eRNAs and the mechanisms underlying their multifaceted functions and consider how these findings could inform future investigations into enhancer transcription and eRNA function.

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Fig. 1: Molecular features that define enhancer RNAs.
Fig. 2: eRNA regulation of enhancer–promoter interactions and the epigenetic state of chromatin.
Fig. 3: eRNAs modulate the chromatin interactions of transcriptional regulators.
Fig. 4: The role of eRNAs in regulating condensate assembly on enhancers.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jim Kadonaga for reading the manuscript and providing helpful suggestions. Research in the Lauberth laboratory is supported by a grant from the NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R35 GM128900) to S.L., and research in the Sartorelli laboratory is supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Intramural Research Program of the NIH (grants AR041126 and AR041164).

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Sartorelli, V., Lauberth, S.M. Enhancer RNAs are an important regulatory layer of the epigenome. Nat Struct Mol Biol 27, 521–528 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-020-0446-0

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