Interaction between m6A and ncRNAs and Its Association with Diseases

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNA) are a kind of endogenous RNA that regulate many vital bioprocesses with limited ability to encode polypeptides. Most of them are involved in transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulations, thus showing some biological effects. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification is a reversible modification that adjusts RNA's functions and stability. The enzymes that regulate m6A can be divided into "writers," "readers," and "erasers." Mechanically, m6A modification of microRNA is mainly identified by DGVR8, participating in the processing of primary micro-RNAs, while m6A modification on long noncoding RNA (lnc-RNA) can change its spatial structure and stability to regulate its RNA- or protein-binding ability. The m6A-modified lnc-RNA and circular RNA can act as competing endogenous RNAs, sponge downstream miRNA. Moreover, ncRNA can also regulate m6A level of downstream molecules. Here, we elaborate on recent advances about pathways and underlying molecular mechanisms of how the interaction between m6A and ncRNA is involved in the occurrence and development of various diseases, especially cancer.