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Regulation of m6Am RNA modification and its implications in human diseases
Hao Jin1,2,† , Zhouyuanjing Shi3,† , Tianhua Zhou2,3,4,* , Shanshan Xie1,*
1Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310052, China
2Department of Cell Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
3Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310020, China
4Center for Medical Research and Innovation in Digestive System Tumors, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou 310020, China
These authors contributed equally to this work
*Correspondence to:Shanshan Xie , Email:sxie@zju.edu.cn Tianhua Zhou , Email:tzhou@zju.edu.cn
J Mol Cell Biol, Volume 16, Issue 3, March 2024, mjae012,  https://doi.org/10.1093/jmcb/mjae012
Keyword: m6Am RNA modification, gene regulation, obesity, viral infection, cancer

N6,2′-O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am) is a prevalent modification frequently found at the 5′ cap-adjacent adenosine of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) and the internal adenosine of snRNAs. This dynamic and reversible modification is under the regulation of methyltransferases phosphorylated CTD interacting factor 1 and methyltransferase-like protein 4, along with the demethylase fat mass and obesity-associated protein. m6Am RNA modification plays a crucial role in the regulation of pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA stability, and translation, thereby influencing gene expression. In recent years, there has been growing interest in exploring the functions of m6Am and its relevance to human diseases. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge concerning m6Am, with a focus on m6Am-modifying enzymes, sequencing approaches for its detection, and its impacts on pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA stability, and translation regulation. Furthermore, we highlight the roles of m6Am in the context of obesity, viral infections, and cancers, unravelling its underlying regulatory mechanisms.