RESUMEN
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a common modification on endogenous RNA transcripts in mammalian cells. Technologies to precisely modify the RNA m6A levels at specific transcriptomic loci empower interrogation of biological functions of epitranscriptomic modifications. Here, we developed a bidirectional dCasRx epitranscriptome editing platform composed of a nuclear-localized dCasRx conjugated with either a methyltransferase, METTL3, or a demethylase, ALKBH5, to manipulate methylation events at targeted m6A sites. Leveraging this platform, we specifically and efficiently edited m6A modifications at targeted sites, reflected in gene expression and cell proliferation. We employed the dCasRx epitranscriptomic editor system to elucidate the molecular function of m6A-binding proteins YTHDF paralogs (YTHDF1, YTHDF2 and YTHDF3), revealing that YTHDFs promote m6A-mediated mRNA degradation. Collectively, our dCasRx epitranscriptome perturbation platform permits site-specific m6A editing for delineating of functional roles of individual m6A modifications in the mammalian epitranscriptome.
Asunto(s)
Adenosina/análogos & derivados , Desmetilasa de ARN, Homólogo 5 de AlkB/metabolismo , Metiltransferasas/metabolismo , ARN Mensajero/metabolismo , Adenosina/metabolismo , Desmetilasa de ARN, Homólogo 5 de AlkB/genética , Proteínas Asociadas a CRISPR/genética , Proliferación Celular , Células Cultivadas , Proteína Forkhead Box M1/genética , Proteína Forkhead Box M1/metabolismo , Glioblastoma/genética , Glioblastoma/metabolismo , Glioblastoma/patología , Humanos , Metiltransferasas/genética , Células Madre Neoplásicas/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-myc/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-myc/metabolismo , Procesamiento Postranscripcional del ARN , ARN Mensajero/química , Proteínas de Unión al ARN/metabolismo , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusión/metabolismo , TranscriptomaRESUMEN
Insult-provoked transformation of neuronal networks into epileptic ones involves multiple mechanisms. Intervention studies have identified both dysregulated inflammatory pathways and NRSF-mediated repression of crucial neuronal genes as contributors to epileptogenesis. However, it remains unclear how epilepsy-provoking insults (e.g., prolonged seizures) induce both inflammation and NRSF and whether common mechanisms exist. We examined miR-124 as a candidate dual regulator of NRSF and inflammatory pathways. Status epilepticus (SE) led to reduced miR-124 expression via SIRT1--and, in turn, miR-124 repression--via C/EBPα upregulated NRSF. We tested whether augmenting miR-124 after SE would abort epileptogenesis by preventing inflammation and NRSF upregulation. SE-sustaining animals developed epilepsy, but supplementing miR-124 did not modify epileptogenesis. Examining this result further, we found that synthetic miR-124 not only effectively blocked NRSF upregulation and rescued NRSF target genes, but also augmented microglia activation and inflammatory cytokines. Thus, miR-124 attenuates epileptogenesis via NRSF while promoting epilepsy via inflammation.