CSTF2 mediated mRNA N<sup>6</sup>-methyladenosine modification drives pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma m<sup>6</sup>A subtypes.

Zheng, Yanfen; Li, Xingyang; Deng, Shuang; Zhao, Hongzhe; Ye, Ying; Zhang, Shaoping; Huang, Xudong; Bai, Ruihong et al. · Nat Commun · 2023

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

N<sup>6</sup>-methyladenosine (m<sup>6</sup>A) modification of gene transcripts plays critical roles in cancer. Here we report transcriptomic m<sup>6</sup>A profiling in 98 tissue samples from 65 individuals with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We identify 17,996 m<sup>6</sup>A peaks with 195 hyper-methylated and 93 hypo-methylated in PDAC compared with adjacent normal tissues. The differential m<sup>6</sup>A modifications distinguish two PDAC subtypes with different prognosis outcomes. The formation of the two subtypes is driven by a newly identified m<sup>6</sup>A regulator CSTF2 that co-transcriptionally regulates m<sup>6</sup>A installation through slowing the RNA Pol II elongation rate during gene transcription. We find that most of the CSTF2-regulated m<sup>6</sup>As have positive effects on the RNA level of host genes, and CSTF2-regulated m<sup>6</sup>As are mainly recognized by IGF2BP2, an m<sup>6</sup>A reader that stabilizes mRNAs. These results provide a promising PDAC subtyping strategy and potential therapeutic targets for precision medicine of PDAC.

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