N6-Methyladenosine Regulates Host Responses to Viral Infection.

ABSTRACT

Recent discoveries have revealed that, during viral infection, the presence of the RNA modification N6-methyladenosine (m6A) on viral and cellular RNAs has profound impacts on infection outcome. Although m6A directly regulates many viral RNA processes, its effects on cellular RNAs and pathways during infection have only recently begun to be elucidated. Disentangling the effects of m6A on viral and host RNAs remains a challenge for the field. m6A has been found to regulate host responses such as viral RNA sensing, cytokine responses, and immune cell functions. We highlight recent findings describing how m6A modulates host responses to viral infection and discuss future directions that will lead to a synergistic understanding of the processes by which m6A regulates viral infection.