Emerging role of m⁶ A RNA methylation in nutritional physiology and metabolism.

Abstract

N⁶ -methyladenine (m⁶ A) is the most prevalent type of internal RNA methylation in eukaryotic mRNA and plays critical roles in regulating gene expression for fundamental cellular processes and diverse physiological functions. Recent evidence indicates that m⁶ A methylation regulates physiology and metabolism, and m⁶ A has been increasingly implicated in a variety of human diseases, including obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cancer. Conversely, nutrition and diet can modulate or reverse m⁶ A methylation patterns on gene expression. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the study of the m⁶ A methylation mechanisms and highlight the crosstalk between m⁶ A modification, nutritional physiology and metabolism.