Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Molecular biology

Messenger RNAs marked for longer life

Nature volume 541, pages 293–294 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

This article has been updated

A molecular modification called m6Am has been found to regulate the stability of messenger RNAs in mammalian cells. The mechanism casts fresh light on how reversibly modified RNA bases control the fate of mRNA. See Article p.371

In the cells of eukaryotic organisms, which include plants, animals and fungi, the 5′ end of every messenger RNA is modified to carry a cap. This modification incorporates a methyl group and acts as a key regulator of mRNA translation and decay. Additional methyl modifications can also be found next to the 5′ cap, including one known as m6Am. On page 371, Mauer et al.1 identify a role for m6Am in controlling mRNA stability. They also reveal that this modification is the preferred substrate of the methyl-removing enzyme known as fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO), instead of a related modification known as m6A that occurs in the body of mRNAs. A fascinating implication of these findings is that the diverse effects previously associated with FTO gene variants might be caused by dysregulation of m6Am — rather than m6A — homeostasis.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy article

Get time limited or full article access on ReadCube.

$32.00

Buy

All prices are NET prices.

Figure 1: The m6Am modification confers stability on messenger RNAs.

Change history

  • 04 January 2017

    The final sentence contained a chemical inaccuracy that has now been corrected.

Notes

  1. See all news & views

References

  1. Mauer, J. et al. Nature 541, 371–375 (2017).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Desrosiers, R., Friderici, K. & Rottman, F. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 71, 3971–3975 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Furuichi, Y. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 72, 1904–1908 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Adams, J. M. & Cory, S. Nature 255, 28–33 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wei, C. M., Gershowitz, A. & Moss, B. Cell 4, 379–386 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Jia, G. et al. Nature Chem. Biol. 7, 885–887 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Yue, Y., Liu, J. & He, C. Genes Dev. 29, 1343–1355 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hess, M. E. et al. Nature Neurosci. 16, 1042–1048 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Zhao, X. et al. Cell Res. 24, 1403–1419 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Han, Z. et al. Nature 464, 1205–1209 (2010).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Coller, J. Nature Struct. Mol. Biol. 23, 954–956 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Dina, C. et al. Nature Genet. 39, 724–726 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Frayling, T. M. et al. Science 316, 889–894 (2007).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. John D. Gross is in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. David E. Weinberg is in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, and in the Sandler Faculty Fellows Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.,

    David E. Weinberg & John D. Gross

Authors
  1. David E. Weinberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John D. Gross
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David E. Weinberg.

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

Epigenetics: A new methyl mark on messengers

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Weinberg, D., Gross, J. Messenger RNAs marked for longer life. Nature 541, 293–294 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature21109

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature21109

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing