m6A-Atlas: a comprehensive knowledgebase for unraveling the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) epitranscriptome

Nucleic Acids Res. 2021 Jan 8;49(D1):D134-D143. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkaa692.

Abstract

N 6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent RNA modification on mRNAs and lncRNAs. It plays a pivotal role during various biological processes and disease pathogenesis. We present here a comprehensive knowledgebase, m6A-Atlas, for unraveling the m6A epitranscriptome. Compared to existing databases, m6A-Atlas features a high-confidence collection of 442 162 reliable m6A sites identified from seven base-resolution technologies and the quantitative (rather than binary) epitranscriptome profiles estimated from 1363 high-throughput sequencing samples. It also offers novel features, such as; the conservation of m6A sites among seven vertebrate species (including human, mouse and chimp), the m6A epitranscriptomes of 10 virus species (including HIV, KSHV and DENV), the putative biological functions of individual m6A sites predicted from epitranscriptome data, and the potential pathogenesis of m6A sites inferred from disease-associated genetic mutations that can directly destroy m6A directing sequence motifs. A user-friendly graphical user interface was constructed to support the query, visualization and sharing of the m6A epitranscriptomes annotated with sites specifying their interaction with post-transcriptional machinery (RBP-binding, microRNA interaction and splicing sites) and interactively display the landscape of multiple RNA modifications. These resources provide fresh opportunities for unraveling the m6A epitranscriptomes. m6A-Atlas is freely accessible at: www.xjtlu.edu.cn/biologicalsciences/atlas.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Adenosine / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism
  • Atlases as Topic
  • Datasets as Topic
  • Dengue Virus / genetics
  • Dengue Virus / metabolism
  • Drosophila melanogaster / genetics
  • Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism
  • HIV / genetics
  • HIV / metabolism
  • Herpesvirus 8, Human / genetics
  • Herpesvirus 8, Human / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Knowledge Bases*
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Pan troglodytes / genetics
  • Pan troglodytes / metabolism
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics*
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Swine
  • Transcriptome*
  • Zebrafish

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • RNA, Messenger
  • N-methyladenosine
  • Adenosine