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Updated: Jan 11, 2026

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Multiplexed Analysis of Retinal Gene Expression and Chromatin Accessibility Using scRNA-Seq and scATAC-Seq
Published on: March 12, 2021
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METTL3 Uncouples Chromatin Accessibility from Transcription during Retinal Development.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|November 19, 2025
Summary
Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) is crucial for retinal development by regulating RNA metabolism. Its epitranscriptomic function impacts retinal progenitor cell differentiation and gene stability via m6A modification.
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Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Epitranscriptomics
- RNA Metabolism
Background:
- Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) is a key regulator of RNA metabolism.
- Its roles in tissue development, particularly in the retina, are not well understood.
- Retinal progenitor cell (RPC) differentiation is a complex process involving precise gene regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genomic and epitranscriptomic functions of METTL3 in retinal development.
- To dissect the role of METTL3 in retinal progenitor cell differentiation using 3D retinal organoids.
- To understand the interplay between METTL3, m6A modification, and gene regulation during retinal development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized embryonic stem cell-derived 3D retinal organoids to model retinal development.
- Integrated multi-omics approaches: m6A profiling (GLORI), ChIP-seq, CUT&RUN, ATAC-seq, and dCas13b-FTO for targeted m6A engineering.
- Employed a degron-based METTL3 degradation strategy and protein-RNA interaction profiling.
Main Results:
- Loss of METTL3 disrupted retinal anlage formation in vitro.
- m6A modification at the Six3 3'UTR was found to govern gene stability.
- METTL3 loss altered histone modifications and chromatin accessibility, but direct chromatin targets showed limited transcriptional correlation, revealing a METTL3-Ythdf1 protein-RNA axis.
Conclusions:
- METTL3-dependent m6A modification is a critical epitranscriptomic layer in retinal development.
- Established a novel genomic paradigm where chromatin accessibility can diverge from transcriptional output.
- Highlights the importance of epitranscriptomic regulation in developmental processes.

