The potential role of RNA N6-methyladenosine in Cancer progression

• Published in: Molecular cancer Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 88
• Main Authors: Wang, Tianyi, Kong, Shan, Tao, Mei, Ju, Shaoqing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 12-05-2020; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adenosine - analogs & derivatives; Adenosine - chemistry; Animals; Binding proteins; Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics; Cancer; Cancer progression; Development and progression; Disease Progression; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic; Humans; Messenger RNA; Methylation; Methyltransferases; Methyltransferases - metabolism; MicroRNAs; Molecular mechanisms; N6-methyladenosine; N6-methyladenosine (m6A); Neoplasms - genetics; Neoplasms - pathology; Physiological aspects; Protein binding; Proteins; Review; RNA polymerase; Transcription; Tumors; Type 2 diabetes; Maryland; N6-methyladenosine (m6A); Cancer progression; Molecular mechanisms
• ISSN: 1476-4598; 1476-4598
• DOI: 10.1186/s12943-020-01204-7

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is considered the most common, abundant, and conserved internal transcript modification, especially in eukaryotic messenger RNA (mRNA). m6A is installed by m6A methyltransferases (METTL3/14, WTAP, RBM15/15B, VIRMA and ZC3H13, termed "writers"), removed by demethylases (FTO, ALKBH5, and ALKBH3, termed "erasers"), and recognized by m6A-binding proteins (YTHDC1/2, YTHDF1/2/3, IGF2BP1/2/3, HNRNP, and eIF3, termed "readers"). Accumulating evidence suggests that m6A RNA methylation greatly impacts RNA metabolism and is involved in the pathogenesis of many kinds of diseases, including cancers. In this review, we focus on the physiological functions of m6A modification and its related regulators, as well as on the potential biological roles of these elements in human tumors.