m6A mRNA modification regulates mammalian spermatogenesis

Zhen Lin; Ming-Han Tong

doi:10.1016/j.bbagrm.2018.10.016

m⁶A mRNA modification regulates mammalian spermatogenesis

Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech. 2019 Mar;1862(3):403-411. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2018.10.016. Epub 2018 Nov 2.

Authors

Zhen Lin¹, Ming-Han Tong²

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China. Electronic address: minghan@sibcb.ac.cn.

PMID: 30391644
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2018.10.016

Abstract

Mammalian spermatogenesis is a highly specialized differentiation process involving precise regulatory mechanisms at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and translational levels. Emerging evidence has shown that N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A), an epitranscriptomic regulator of gene expression, can influence pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA export, turnover, and translation, which are controlled in the male germline to ensure coordinated gene expression. In this review, we summarize the typical features of m⁶A RNA modification on mRNA during male germline development, and highlight the function of writers, erasers, and readers of m⁶A during mouse spermatogenesis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Adenine / analogs & derivatives*
Adenine / metabolism
Animals
Humans
Male
RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional*
Spermatogenesis*

Substances

Adenine
6-methyladenine