Landscape of Chimeric RNAs in Non-Cancerous Cells

Gene fusions and their products (RNA and protein) have been traditionally recognized as unique features of cancer cells and are used as ideal biomarkers and drug targets for multiple cancer types. However, recent studies have demonstrated that chimeric RNAs generated by intergenic alternative splicing can also be found in normal cells and tissues. In this study, we aim to identify chimeric RNAs in different non-neoplastic cell lines and investigate the landscape and expression of these novel candidate chimeric RNAs. To do so, we used HEK-293T, HUVEC, and LO2 cell lines as models, performed paired-end RNA sequencing, and conducted analyses for chimeric RNA profiles. Several filtering criteria were applied, and the landscape of chimeric RNAs was characterized at multiple levels and from various angles. Further, we experimentally validated 17 chimeric RNAs from different classifications. Finally, we examined a number of validated chimeric RNAs in different cancer and non-cancer cells, including blood from healthy donors, and demonstrated their ubiquitous expression pattern.