N6-Methyladenosine RNA Modification: A Potential Regulator of Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation

Bo Wei; Meiyu Zeng; Jing Yang; Shuainan Li; Jiantao Zhang; Nan Ding; Zhisheng Jiang

doi:10.3389/fcell.2022.835205

N⁶-Methyladenosine RNA Modification: A Potential Regulator of Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022 Apr 4:10:835205. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2022.835205. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Bo Wei^{1

2}, Meiyu Zeng¹, Jing Yang¹, Shuainan Li¹, Jiantao Zhang³, Nan Ding³, Zhisheng Jiang²

Affiliations

¹ Research Lab of Translational Medicine, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China.
² Key Laboratory for Arteriosclerology of Hunan Province, Human International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Arteriosclerotic Disease, Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, China.
³ Institution of Pathogenic Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China.

Abstract

Stem cell transplantation (SCT) holds great promise for overcoming diseases by regenerating damaged cells, tissues and organs. The potential for self-renewal and differentiation is the key to SCT. RNA methylation, a dynamic and reversible epigenetic modification, is able to regulate the ability of stem cells to differentiate and regenerate. N ⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is the richest form of RNA methylation in eukaryotes and is regulated by three classes of proteins: methyltransferase complexes, demethylase complexes and m⁶A binding proteins. Through the coordination of these proteins, RNA methylation precisely modulates the expression of important target genes by affecting mRNA stability, translation, selective splicing, processing and microRNA maturation. In this review, we summarize the most recent findings on the regulation of m⁶A modification in embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells and adult stem cells, hoping to provide new insights into improving SCT technology.

Keywords: N6-methyladenosine; RNA modification; differentiation; proliferation; stem cell.

Publication types

Review