METTL3 knockdown suppresses RA-FLS activation through m6A-YTHDC2-mediated regulation of AMIGO2

Abstract

The dysregulation of N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) on mRNAs is involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3), serving as a central m⁶A methyltransferase, is highly expressed in macrophages, synovial tissues and RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLS) of RA patients. However, METTL3-mediated m⁶A modification on target mRNAs and the molecular mechanisms involved in RA-FLS remain poorly defined. Our research demonstrated that METTL3 knockdown decreased the proliferation, migratory and invasive abilities of RA-FLS. Notably, we identified the adhesion molecule with Ig like domain 2 (AMIGO2) as a probable downstream target of both METTL3 and YTH Domain Containing 2 (YTHDC2) in RA-FLS. We revealed that AMIGO2 augmented the activation of RA-FLS and can potentially reverse the phenotypic effects induced by the knockdown of either METTL3 or YTHDC2. Mechanistically, METTL3 knockdown decreased m⁶A modification in the 5'-untranslated region (5'UTR) of AMIGO2 mRNA, which diminished its interaction with YTHDC2 in RA-FLS. Our findings unveiled that silencing of METTL3 inhibited the proliferation and aggressive behaviors of RA-FLS by downregulating AMIGO2 expression in an m⁶A-YTHDC2 dependent mechanism, thereby underscoring the pivotal role of the METTL3-m⁶A-YTHDC2-AMIGO2 axis in modulating RA-FLS phenotypes.

Keywords: Adhesion molecule with Ig like domain 2; Methyltransferase-like 3; N(6)-methyladenosine; Rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes; YTH Domain Containing 2.