Enhancer RNA-mediated transcriptional regulatory programs reveal the malignant progression of glioma.

Abstract

To systematically investigate the molecular and pathological mechanisms of enhancer RNA (eRNA)-mediated transcriptional regulation in glioma recurrence and progression, transcriptomic, regulatome, and genomic data were integrated to analyze eRNA behavior in lower-grade gliomas (stages II/III) and glioblastomas (stage IV). Most eRNAs exhibited dynamic expression during glioma progression, regulated by master transcription factors (TFs) and affected by genomic mutations. The constructed perturbed TF-mediated eRNA-promoter regulatory landscape revealed that rewiring eRNA-promoter networks contributed to glioma malignancy. Drug response-related eRNAs associated with poor prognosis were identified, highlighting their clinical potential. Overall, integrative analysis highlights the critical role of eRNA-mediated regulatory rewiring in glioma progression, providing valuable insights into transcriptional mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.