eRNAs and Superenhancer lncRNAs Are Functional in Human Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in males worldwide. lncRNAs (long noncoding RNAs) play a significant role in the occurrence and development of PCa. eRNAs (enhancer RNAs) and SE-lncRNAs (superenhancer lncRNAs) are important elements of lncRNAs, but the role of eRNAs and SE-lncRNAs in PCa remains largely unclear. In this work, we identified 681 eRNAs and 292 SE-lncRNAs that were expressed differentially in PCa using a microarray. We also found that eRNAs transcribed from active open chromatin had significantly higher expression than those from active closed chromatin, and SE-lncRNAs had a little higher expression than eRNAs. Next, we constructed a transcriptional regulation network that eRNA-related enhancer and the target genes shared the same TF-binding motifs. Further, we investigated whether CTCF played a role in mediating the transcriptional regulation network. eRNAs, especially those that regulate androgen response genes, may be candidates for prognostic biomarkers and therapy targets. Our work provides a new perspective for developing medical treatments and therapies for prostate cancer.