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A Method for Measuring RNA N6-methyladenosine Modifications in Cells and Tissues
08:56

A Method for Measuring RNA N6-methyladenosine Modifications in Cells and Tissues

Published on: December 5, 2016

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N6-adenosine methylation in MiRNAs

Tea Berulava1, Sven Rahmann2, Katrin Rademacher1

  • 1Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.

Plos One
|February 28, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Methylation of N6-adenosine (m6A) was found in microRNAs (miRNAs), impacting their levels. This epigenetic mark on miRNAs adds complexity to gene expression regulation.

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics
  • RNA biology
  • Gene regulation

Background:

  • N6-adenosine (m6A) methylation is a prevalent RNA modification found across various RNA types.
  • The presence and role of m6A in microRNAs (miRNAs) have remained largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of m6A methylation in miRNAs.
  • To explore the functional impact of m6A on miRNA stability and gene expression regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Knockdown of the m6A demethylase FTO to observe effects on miRNA levels.
  • RNA immunoprecipitation followed by RNA sequencing (RIP-seq) to identify m6A-modified miRNAs.
  • Bioinformatic analysis including motif searches to identify methylation patterns.

Main Results:

  • FTO knockdown significantly altered the steady-state levels of several miRNAs.
  • A substantial portion of miRNAs were found to be m6A-methylated.
  • Consensus sequence motifs were identified that distinguish between methylated and unmethylated miRNAs.

Conclusions:

  • MicroRNAs are subject to m6A epigenetic modification.
  • m6A methylation represents a novel layer of post-transcriptional regulation for miRNAs.
  • This discovery deepens the understanding of epigenetic control over gene expression via miRNAs.

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