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HEREDITAS(Beijing) ›› 2016, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (4): 275-288.doi: 10.16288/j.yczz.16-049

• Invited Review •     Next Articles

RNA epigenetic modification: N6-methyladenosine

Xiao Zhang, Guifang Jia   

  1. Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
  • Received:2016-02-01 Revised:2016-03-04 Online:2016-04-20 Published:2016-04-20

Abstract: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most prevalent internal modifications in eukaryotic messenger RNA. The dynamic and reversible modification is installed by methyltransferase complex charactered three subunits: METTL3 (Methyltransferase-like protein 3), METTL14 (Methyltransferase-like protein 14) and WTAP (Wilms tumor 1-associating protein), and erased by two independent demethylases, FTO (Fat mass and obesity associated protein) and ALKBH5 (AlkB homolog 5), in an α-ketoglutarate (α-KG)- and Fe(II)-dependent manner. m6A plays funtions in controlling RNA metabolism through the recognition by m6A reader proteins, the YTH domain family proteins and HNRNPA2B1 (Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A2B1) . In this review, we summarized distributive features and vital roles of m6A and its associated proteins in RNA metabolisms and biological significance, which will help us better understand this new exciting emerging epitranscriptome research field.

Key words: N6-methyladenosine (m6A), RNA chemical modification, epitranscriptome, methyltransferase, demethylase, m6A reader proteins