Multifaceted functions of Y‑box binding protein 1 in RNA methylated modifications (Review)

Y‑box binding protein 1 (YBX1/YB‑1) is a DNA/RNA‑binding protein, which plays a crucial role in promoting tumor progression and resistance to anticancer drugs. YBX1 is widely involved in a range of biological processes such as DNA repair, mRNA transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA stability regulation, translation and exosome sorting. In addition to these canonical DNA/RNA‑binding protein functions, YBX1 can also have a regulatory role in N6‑methyladenine (m⁶A) and 5‑methylcytosine (m⁵C) RNA modification. Moreover, YBX1 functions as an m⁵C reader to regulate mRNA stability, thus modulating gene expression and affecting disease development. Furthermore, SU056, an inhibitor of YBX1, has been shown to reverse drug resistance and prevent tumor development. In the present review, the structure of YBX1 and its functions in RNA methylation modifications are summarized, and its effects on m⁵C and m⁶A RNA modifications in cancer progression and drug resistance are emphasized.