The effects of m 6A modification in central nervous system function and disease

Abstract

N ⁶-methyladenosine (m ⁶A) is an important RNA modification, which is highly active in brain tissues, participates in global intracellular mRNA metabolism, and regulates gene expression and a variety of biological processes. Stable m ⁶A modification contributes to the normal embryonic brain development and memory formation and plays an important role in maintaining the functions of the central nervous system. However, changes in the level of m ⁶A modification and the expression of its related proteins cause abnormal nervous system functions, including brain tissue development retardation, axon regeneration disorders, memory changes, and stem cell renewal and differentiation disorders. Recent studies have also found that m ⁶A modification and its related proteins play key roles in the development of various nervous system diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, fragile X-chromosome syndrome, depression and glioblastoma. In this review, we summarize the research progresses of m ⁶A modification regulation mechanism in the central nervous system in recent years, and discusses the effects of gene expression regulation mediated by m ⁶A modification on the biological functions of the central nervous system and related diseases, thereby providing some insights on the new research targets and treatment directions for the central nervous system diseases.

Keywords: N 6-methyladenosine (m 6 A); central nervous system; memory; stem cell; synapse.