Nutrigenomics and RNA methylation: Role of micronutrients

RNA modifications regulate gene expression by impacting different steps in RNA processing. They are as diverse as they are important for the cell. Most of them have been identified around 1970 and the recent development of high-throughput techniques has shed some insights on their prevalence and function. They are present in all RNA types, but their regulation is still not fully understood. The most described RNA modification is methylation, which requires S-adenosylmethionine as a methyl donor, produced through the one carbon metabolism. Different micronutrients (i.e. folate and vitamin B12) are required to properly generate S-adenosylmethionine, making nutrition a strong regulating factor. Although micronutrients have been extensively described to affect epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, protein histone post-translational modifications or miRNAs, far less is known about RNA methylation. Here, we review what is known about the regulation of RNA methylation by micronutrients and the physiological consequences of deficiencies.