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Volume 3 Issue 6, June 2023

m6A mRNA modification in primate aging

In this issue, Wu et al. profile the N 6-methyladenosine (m6A) epitranscriptomic landscape of aging nonhuman primate tissues.

Their study shows that m6A decoration correlates with gene expression homeostasis and that the methyltransferase METTL3 has a role in m6A epitranscriptomic regulation and myotube maintenance.

The cover image shows a dragon, a Chinese symbol of longevity, resembling an mRNA. The dragon has red ‘M’-shaped eyebrows and black pupils with the number 6 at the center. The image is inspired by a Chinese idiom, hua long dian jing — in English, to bring the painted dragon to life by dotting its eyes. The saying metaphorically means ‘providing the finishing touches’. In relation to the authors’ work, to bring this dragon to life — that is, to maintain mRNA stability — the finishing touch is the methylation (invoked by the M-shaped eyebrows) that occurs at the N 6 position of adenosine (invoked by the pupils displaying the number 6). The writing brush represents the METTL3 protein.

See Qu et al.

Image: courtesy of Yizhu Wang. Cover Design: Lauren Heslop.

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