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. 2017 Sep 2;14(9):1232-1240.
doi: 10.1080/15476286.2017.1307484. Epub 2017 Mar 29.

A fly view on the roles and mechanisms of the m6A mRNA modification and its players

Tina Lence  1 , Matthias Soller  2 , Jean-Yves Roignant  1
Affiliations

A fly view on the roles and mechanisms of the m6A mRNA modification and its players

Tina Lence et al. RNA Biol. .

Abstract

RNA modifications are an emerging layer of posttranscriptional gene regulation in eukaryotes. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is among the most abundant modifications in mRNAs (mRNAs) that was shown to influence many physiological processes from yeast to mammals. Like DNA methylation, m6A in mRNA is dynamically regulated. A conserved methyltransferase complex catalyzes the deposition of the methyl group on adenosine, which can be removed by specific classes of demethylases. Furthermore, YTH-domain containing proteins can recognize this modification to mediate m6A-dependent activities. Here we review the functions and mechanisms of the main m6A players with a particular focus on Drosophila melanogaster.

Keywords: Drosophila; RNA modifications; Sex lethal; m6A; neurogenesis; splicing.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
m6A mRNA pathway in vertebrates and Drosophila melanogaster. The m6A methyltransferase complex is composed of five factors. In Drosophila, the methyltransferase complex controls neural development and sex determination via its nuclear reader YT521-B. The precise functions or roles of Virilizer and its vertebrate homolog KIAA1429 remain to be identified. No demethlyase has been found so far in Drosophila.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Domain-structure comparison of m6A writers and readers between Drosophila and Human. Comparison of the different proteins was based on uniprot (www.uniprot.org). Homology between similar domains was analyzed via protein BLAST from NCBI. Individual domains of Spenito were compared with RBM15; YT521-B with YTHDC1 and CG6422 with YTHDF2 (Hs - homo sapiens, Dm - Drosophila melanogaster).
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