RNA N6-methyladenosine methylation in post-transcriptional gene expression regulation

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent and internal modification that occurs in the messenger RNAs (mRNA) of most eukaryotes, although its functional relevance remained a mystery for decades. This modification is installed by the m6A methylation “writers” and can be reversed by demethylases that serve as “erasers.” In this review, we mainly summarize recent progress in the study of the m6A mRNA methylation machineries across eukaryotes and discuss their newly uncovered biological functions. The broad roles of m6A in regulating cell fates and embryonic development highlight the existence of another layer of epigenetic regulation at the RNA level, where mRNA is subjected to chemical modifications that affect protein expression.