Introduction: Super-enhancer-associated lncRNAs play important roles in the occurrence and development of malignant tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Objectives: The current work aimed to identify and characterize super-enhancer-associated lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of HCC. Methods: H3K27ac ChIP-seq data from HepG2 cell line and two HCC tissues were used to identify super-enhancer-associated lncRNAs in HCC. JQ-1 treatment and CRISPR-dCas9 system were performed to confirm super-enhancer activity. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), ChIP-qPCR, and dual-luciferase reporter system assay demonstrated the regulation of E2F1 on super-enhancer. Functional loss experiment was used to identify the function of LINC01004. Results: In this study, we identified and characterized LINC01004, a novel super-enhancer-associated lncRNA, as a crucial oncogene in HCC. LINC01004 was upregulated in liver cancer tissues and was associated with poor patient prognosis. Moreover, LINC01004 promoted cell proliferation and metastasis of HCC. The binding of E2F1 to the super-enhancer could promote the transcription of LINC01004, while the inhibition of super-enhancer activity decreased LINC01004 expression. Conclusion: This finding might provide mechanistic insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying hepatocarcinogenesis and the biological function of super-enhancer. LINC01004 can serve as a potential therapeutic target for HCC patient. Graphical

The endometrium is an important tissue for pregnancy and plays an important role in reproduction. In this study, high-throughput transcriptome sequencing was performed in endometrium samples of Meishan and Yorkshire pigs on days 18 and 32 of pregnancy. Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C1 (AKR1C1) was found to be a differentially expressed gene, and was identified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Immunohistochemistry results revealed the cellular localization of the AKR1C1 protein in the endometrium. Luciferase activity assay demonstrated that the AKR1C1 core promoter region was located in the region from −706 to −564, containing two nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) binding sites (antioxidant response elements, AREs). XLOC-2222497 was identified as a nuclear long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) highly expressed in the endometrium. XLOC-2222497 overexpression and knockdown have an effect on the expression of AKR1C1. Endocrinologic measurement showed the difference in progesterone levels between Meishan and Yorkshire pigs. Progesterone treatment upregulated AKR1C1 and XLOC-2222497 expression in porcine endometrial epithelial cells. In conclusion, transcriptome analysis revealed differentially expressed transcripts during the early pregnancy process. Further experiments demonstrated the interaction of XLOC-2222497/AKR1C1/progesterone in the endometrium and provided new potential targets for pregnancy maintenance and its control.