# eNRSA: a faster and more powerful approach for nascent transcriptome analysis

**Authors:** Jing Wang, Hua-chang Chen, Scott W Hiebert, Quanhu Sheng, William P Tansey, Yu Shyr, Qi Liu

PMC · DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giaf071 · 2025-07-04

## TL;DR

eNRSA is a faster and more versatile tool for analyzing nascent RNA data, improving the study of gene regulation and transcription dynamics.

## Contribution

eNRSA introduces adaptive transcript selection, cross-species compatibility, and a 20-fold speed increase for nascent transcriptome analysis.

## Key findings

- eNRSA supports any organism with known gene structures and complex study designs.
- The tool identifies alternative transcription start/termination sites and transcription readthrough events.
- eNRSA significantly reduces memory usage while increasing analysis speed by ∼20-fold.

## Abstract

Nascent RNA sequencing tracks primary transcriptional events, making it crucial for studying the immediate regulatory changes of genes and enhancers in response to both endogenous and exogenous stimuli. NRSA is a widely used tool for analyzing nascent transcriptomic data, enabling quantification of transcriptional changes at proximal promoters and gene bodies, estimation of pausing indices, identifying active enhancers, and establishing enhancer–target gene relationships. To improve its functionality and broaden its applicability to diverse organisms and complex study designs, we have developed an enhanced version, eNRSA. Key advancements include adaptive selection of major transcripts, support for any organism with known gene structures, compatibility with complex study designs, and identification of alternative transcription start and termination sites, as well as transcription readthrough events. Additionally, eNRSA achieves a ∼20-fold increase in analysis speed while significantly reducing memory usage. These enhancements make eNRSA a faster, more versatile, and more powerful tool for nascent transcriptome analysis. eNRSA is freely available at https://bioinfo.vanderbilt.edu/eNRSA/.

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** SCP2 (sterol carrier protein 2) [NCBI Gene 6342] {aka NLTP, NSL-TP, SCOX, SCP-2, SCP-CHI, SCP-X}, MYC (MYC proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor) [NCBI Gene 4609] {aka MRTL, MYCC, bHLHe39, c-Myc}, RPLP2 (ribosomal protein lateral stalk subunit P2) [NCBI Gene 6181] {aka D11S2243E, LP2, P2, RPP2}, RPL13 (ribosomal protein L13) [NCBI Gene 6137] {aka BBC1, D16S444E, D16S44E, L13, SEMDIST, eL13}, RPL14 (ribosomal protein L14) [NCBI Gene 9045] {aka CAG-ISL-7, CTG-B33, L14, RL14, eL14, hRL14}, KITLG (KIT ligand) [NCBI Gene 4254] {aka DCUA, DFNA69, FPH2, FPHH, KL-1, Kitl}, RPL35 (ribosomal protein L35) [NCBI Gene 11224] {aka DBA19, L35, uL29}, CPSF3 (cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 3) [NCBI Gene 51692] {aka CPSF-73, CPSF73, NEDMHS, NEDMHSN}, RPL32 (ribosomal protein L32) [NCBI Gene 6161] {aka L32, PP9932, eL32}, RPL34 (ribosomal protein L34) [NCBI Gene 6164] {aka L34, eL34}, VEGFA (vascular endothelial growth factor A) [NCBI Gene 7422] {aka L-VEGF, MVCD1, VEGF, VPF}, RPS24 (ribosomal protein S24) [NCBI Gene 6229] {aka DBA3, S24, eS24}, RPL12 (ribosomal protein L12) [NCBI Gene 6136] {aka L12, uL11}, CSTF2 (cleavage stimulation factor subunit 2) [NCBI Gene 1478] {aka CSTF64, CstF-64, XLID113}
- **Diseases:** Cancer (MESH:D009369), ATSSs (MESH:D020922), ATTSs (MESH:D009371)
- **Chemicals:** gangliosides (MESH:D005732), DMSO (MESH:D004121), thiol (MESH:D013438), cholesterol (MESH:D002784), Butt (-), phospholipids (MESH:D010743)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]
- **Cell lines:** HeLa — Homo sapiens (Human), Human papillomavirus-related endocervical adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0030), G401 — Homo sapiens (Human), Rhabdoid tumor of the kidney, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0270), HUVEC — Homo sapiens (Human), Finite cell line (CVCL_3722), S2 — Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly), Spontaneously immortalized cell line (CVCL_Z232), Ramos — Homo sapiens (Human), Burkitt lymphoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0597), Cell — Muntiacus muntjak (Barking deer), Spontaneously immortalized cell line (CVCL_9126)

## Figures

5 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12231571/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12231571