m 6 A in mRNA: An Ancient Mechanism for Fine-Tuning Gene Expression
Open accessAbstract
Modifications in mRNA constitute ancient mechanisms to regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. N 6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) is the most prominent mRNA modification, and is installed by a large methyltransferase complex (the m 6 A 'writer'), not only specifically bound by RNA-binding proteins (the m 6 A 'readers'), but also removed by demethylases (the m 6 A 'erasers'). m 6 A mRNA modifications have been linked to regulation at multiple steps in mRNA processing. In analogy to the regulation of gene expression by miRNAs, we propose that the main function of m 6 A is post-transcriptional fine-tuning of gene expression. In contrast to miRNA regulation, which mostly reduces gene expression, we argue that m 6 A provides a fast mean to post-transcriptionally maximize gene expression. Additionally, m 6 A appears to have a second function during developmental transitions by targeting m 6 A-marked transcripts for degradation.
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Core m6A methyltransferase complex components include METTL14, WTAP, METTL3, and RBM15.
“Core m6A methyltransferase complex components include methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14), Wilms tumor 1-associated protein (WTAP), methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3), and RNA-binding motif protein 15 (RBM15).354”
From Epigenetic regulation in major depression and other stress-related disorders: molecular mechanisms, clinical relevance and therapeutic potential (2023) · cites this paper as [354]
Cites
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“The enzyme placing this m(6)A modification is not yet known [54, 63, 94, 95].”
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- Authors
- Roignant, J.-Y., & Soller, M.
- Affiliations
- Institute of Molecular Biology (DE)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Roignant, Jean-Yves
- Soller, Matthias
- Venue
- Trends in Genetics
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-06
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 380-390
- ISSN
- 0168-9525 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2613208586
- Cited by
- 426
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 62 · 2022: 70 · 2021: 83 · 2020: 54 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 7
- FWCI
- 3.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- Locations
- Trends in Genetics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA modifications and cancer
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA regulation and disease
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA Research and Splicing
- Keywords
- N6-methyladenosine, mRNA modification, post-transcriptional regulation, m6A writer complex, m6A reader proteins, mRNA processing, mRNA degradation, developmental transitions, microRNA regulation
- MeSH terms
- Adenosine, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional, RNA, Messenger, RNA-Binding Proteins, DNA Methylation, Epigenesis, Genetic
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