The emerging roles of N6-methyladenosine RNA methylation in human cancers
Huafei Shen, Yifen Lan, Yanchun Zhao, Yuanfei Shi, Jie Jin, Wanzhuo Xie
Abstract
Abstract N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) is the most abundant form of mRNA modification in eukaryotes. It affects various aspects of RNA metabolism, including nuclear export, translation, decay and alternative splicing. In addition, m 6 A also participates in a great number of human physiological processes, ranging from spermatogenesis modulation, response to heat shock, the control of T cell homeostasis to stem cell proliferation and differentiation. The dynamic equilibrium of m 6 A level is regulated by m 6 A methyltransferases (“writers”), m 6 A demethylases (“erasers”) as well as m 6 A-binding proteins (“readers”). Once the balance is broken, numerous diseases will knock on the door. Recently, increasing studies reveal that m 6 A methylation exerts a profound impact on tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the functions of m 6 A modification and its emerging roles in human cancers, and discuss the potential of m 6 A regulators as biomarkers or therapeutic targets.