ALKBH8 as a potential N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) eraser in insects

Abstract

AbstractThe N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) machinery functions through three groups of proteins in eukaryotic cells, including m6A writers, erasers and readers. The m6A cellular machinery has mostly been characterised in mammalian species, and the relevant literature on insects is currently scant. While homologues of m6A writers and readers have been reported from insects, no erasers have been described so far. Here, using BLAST search, we searched for potential erasers in insects. While we found homologues of human m6A eraser ALKBH5 in termites, beetles and true bugs, they could not be found in representative dipteran and lepidopteran species. However, a potential m6A eraser, ALKBH8, was identified and experimentally investigated. Our results showed that ALKBH8 can reduce the m6A levels of Aedes aegypti and Drosophila melanogaster RNAs, suggesting that AeALKBH8 could be a candidate m6A eraser in insects.