Emerging evidence suggests that epitranscriptional modifications influence multiple cellular processes. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), as the most abundant reversible methylation of mRNA, has also been reported to play critical roles in modulating embryonic stem cell differentiation and somatic cell reprogramming by regulating gene expression. This review examined the characteristics of m6A, including the distribution profile and currently discovered "writer," "eraser," and "reader" proteins. Moreover, the hypothesis is proposed that m6A could influence cell fate determination, and the underlying mechanisms are due to the related mRNA degradation, causing weakening of previous cell characteristics and eventually leading them to develop into the reverse direction (pluripotency or differentiation state). Accordingly, m6A modifications presented its potential role in cell fate determination, which provides new insights into understanding the mechanisms of various diseases.
Keywords: N6-methyladenosine; cell fate; demethylase; mRNA degradation; methyltransferase; reprogramming.