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Molecular biology

RNA modification does a regulatory two-step

Nature volume 518, pages 492–493 (2015)Cite this article

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The m6A structural modification of RNA regulates gene expression. It has now been found to mediate an unusual control mechanism: by altering the structure of RNA, m6A allows a regulatory protein to bind to that RNA. See Letter p.560

One of the most abundant modifications of messenger RNA is thought to be N6-methyladenosine (m6A), in which a methyl group is attached to the N6 position of adenine, an RNA base. The m6A modification has a role in regulating gene expression, and perturbations of this regulatory machinery are associated with human disease. But little is known about the mechanism by which the single methyl group of m6A exerts its effect. On page 560 of this issue, Liu et al.1 report that m6A alters the secondary structure of RNA, allowing an RNA-binding protein to access the RNA sequence opposite the modification and therefore to regulate expression.

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Figure 1: Regulation of alternative splicing by the m6A RNA modification.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Dominik Theler and Frédéric H.-T. Allain are at the Institute of Molecular Biology & Biophysics, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8093, Switzerland.,

    Dominik Theler & Frédéric H.-T. Allain

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  1. Dominik Theler
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  2. Frédéric H.-T. Allain
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Correspondence to Dominik Theler or Frédéric H.-T. Allain.

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Theler, D., Allain, FT. RNA modification does a regulatory two-step. Nature 518, 492–493 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/518492a

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