PMT6 Is Required for SWC4 in Positively Modulating Pepper Thermotolerance.

High temperature stress (HTS), with growth and development impairment, is one of the most important abiotic stresses frequently encountered by plants, in particular solanacaes such as pepper, that mainly distribute in tropical and subtropical regions. Plants activate thermotolerance to cope with this stress; however, the underlying mechanism is currently not fully understood. SWC4, a shared component of SWR1- and NuA4 complexes implicated in chromatin remodeling, was previously found to be involved in the regulation of pepper thermotolerance, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Herein, PMT6, a putative methyltranferase was originally found to interact with SWC4 by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP)-combined LC/MS assay. This interaction was further confirmed by bimolecular fluorescent complimentary (BiFC) and Co-IP assay, and PMT6 was further found to confer SWC4 methylation. By virus-induced gene silencing, it was found that PMT6 silencing significantly reduced pepper basal thermotolerance and transcription of CaHSP24 and significantly reduced the enrichment of chromatin-activation-related H3K9ac, H4K5ac, and H3K4me3 in TSS of CaHSP24, which was previously found to be positively regulated by CaSWC4. By contrast, the overexpression of PMT6 significantly enhanced basal thermotolerance of pepper plants. All these data indicate that PMT6 acts as a positive regulator in pepper thermotolerance, likely by methylating SWC4.

Molybdenum Cofactor Catabolism Unravels the Physiological Role of the Drug Metabolizing Enzyme Thiopurine S-Methyltransferase.

Therapy of molybdenum cofactor (Moco) deficiency has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2021. Whereas urothione, the urinary excreted catabolite of Moco, is used as diagnostic biomarker for Moco-deficiency, its catabolic pathway remains unknown. Here, we identified the urothione-synthesizing methyltransferase using mouse liver tissue by anion exchange/size exclusion chromatography and peptide mass fingerprinting. We show that the catabolic Moco S-methylating enzyme corresponds to thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT), a highly polymorphic drug-metabolizing enzyme associated with drug-related hematotoxicity but unknown physiological role. Urothione synthesis was investigated in vitro using recombinantly expressed human TPMT protein, liver lysates from Tpmt wild-type and knock-out (Tpmt-/- ) mice as well as human liver cytosol. Urothione levels were quantified by liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in the kidneys and urine of mice. TPMT-genotype/phenotype and excretion levels of urothione were investigated in human samples and validated in an independent population-based study. As Moco provides a physiological substrate (thiopterin) of TPMT, thiopterin-methylating activity was associated with TPMT activity determined with its drug substrate (6-thioguanin) in mice and humans. Urothione concentration was extremely low in the kidneys and urine of Tpmt-/- mice. Urinary urothione concentration in TPMT-deficient patients depends on common TPMT polymorphisms, with extremely low levels in homozygous variant carriers (TPMT*3A/*3A) but normal levels in compound heterozygous carriers (TPMT*3A/*3C) as validated in the population-based study. Our work newly identified an endogenous substrate for TPMT and shows an unprecedented link between Moco catabolism and drug metabolism. Moreover, the TPMT example indicates that phenotypic consequences of genetic polymorphisms may differ between drug- and endogenous substrates.

Prognostic signature based on m6A-related lncRNAs to predict overall survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

A growing body of evidence indicates that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in the progression of PDAC and the treatment response of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In this study, we identified m6A-related lncRNAs to reveal their association with PDAC in prognosis and tumor immune environment. A prognostic signature based on 9 m6A-related lncRNAs was established, and the high-risk patients exhibited a significantly worse prognosis than low-risk patients. The predictive capacity was confirmed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and an independent validation cohort. Correlation analyses revealed that m6A-related lncRNA signature was significantly associated with the number of somatic mutations, immunocyte infiltration, immune function, immune checkpoints, tumor microenvironment (TME) score, and sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. Consequently, we constructed a highly accurate nomogram for improving clinical applicability of signature and exhibited superior predictive accuracy than both the signature and tumor stage. In conclusion, our proposed m6A-related lncRNA signature is a potential indicator predictive of prognosis and immunotherapeutic responses in PDAC patients.

Site-specific Phosphorylation of Histone H3K36 Methyltransferase Set2p and Demethylase Jhd1p is Required for Stress Responses in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Histone lysine methylation is a key epigenetic modification that regulates eukaryotic transcription. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it is controlled by a reduced but evolutionarily conserved suite of methyltransferase (Set1p, Set2p, Dot1p, and Set5p) and demethylase (Jhd1p, Jhd2p, Rph1p, and Gis1p) enzymes. Many of these enzymes are extensively phosphorylated in vivo; however, the functions of almost all phosphosites remain unknown. Here, we comprehensively analyse the phosphoregulation of the yeast histone methylation network by functionally investigating 40 phosphosites on six enzymes. A total of 82 genomically-edited S. cerevisiae strains were generated through mutagenesis of sites to aspartate as a phosphomimetic or alanine as a phosphonull. These phosphosite mutants were screened for changes in native H3K4, H3K36, and H3K79 methylation levels, and for sensitivity to environmental stress conditions. For methyltransferase Set2p, we found that phosphorylation at threonine 127 significantly decreased H3K36 methylation in vivo, and that an N-terminal phosphorylation cluster at serine residues 6, 8, and 10 is required for the diamide stress response. Proteomic analysis of Set2p phosphosite mutants revealed a specific downregulation of membrane-associated proteins and processes, consistent with changes brought about by SET2 deletion and the sensitivity of mutants to diamide. For demethylase Jhd1p, we found that its sole phosphorylation site at serine 44 is required for the cold stress response. This study represents the first systematic investigation into the phosphoregulation of the epigenetic network in any eukaryote, and shows that phosphosites on histone methylation enzymes are required for a normal cellular response to stress in S.cerevisiae.

N6-methyladenosine-induced SVIL antisense RNA 1 restrains lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation by destabilizing E2F1.

Accumulating evidence indicates that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in cancer development. However, the biological roles of m6A and lncRNAs in lung cancer tumorigenesis are largely unknown. In this study, SVIL antisense RNA 1 (SVIL-AS1) was downregulated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tissues and was associated with a favorable prognosis in patients with LUAD. SVIL-AS1 overexpression suppressed LUAD cell proliferation and blocked cell cycle arrest. Mechanistically, METTL3 increased the m6A modification and transcript stability of SVIL-AS1. The enhanced SVIL-AS1 expression mediated by METTL3 suppressed E2F1 and E2F1-target genes. Moreover, SVIL-AS1 accelerated E2F1 degradation. The reduction in cell proliferation induced by SVIL-AS1 overexpression could be rescued by E2F1 overexpression or METTL3 knockdown. In conclusion, our work demonstrated the role and mechanism of METTL3-induced SVIL-AS1 in LUAD, which connects m6A and lncRNA in lung cancer carcinogenesis.

SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 Inhibits Type I IFN Production by Degradation of TBK1 via p62-Dependent Selective Autophagy.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has seriously threatened global public health. Severe COVID-19 has been reported to be associated with an impaired IFN response. However, the mechanisms of how SARS-CoV-2 antagonizes the host IFN response are poorly understood. In this study, we report that SARS-CoV-2 helicase NSP13 inhibits type I IFN production by directly targeting TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) for degradation. Interestingly, inhibition of autophagy by genetic knockout of Beclin1 or pharmacological inhibition can rescue NSP13-mediated TBK1 degradation in HEK-293T cells. Subsequent studies revealed that NSP13 recruits TBK1 to p62, and the absence of p62 can also inhibit TBK1 degradation in HEK-293T and HeLa cells. Finally, TBK1 and p62 degradation and p62 aggregation were observed during SARS-CoV-2 infection in HeLa-ACE2 and Calu3 cells. Overall, our study shows that NSP13 inhibits type I IFN production by recruiting TBK1 to p62 for autophagic degradation, enabling it to evade the host innate immune response, which provides new insights into the transmission and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

m6A mRNA methylation-directed myeloid cell activation controls progression of NAFLD and obesity.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification is a fundamental determinant of mRNA metabolism, but its role in innate immunity-driven non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity is not known. Here, we show that myeloid lineage-restricted deletion of the m6A "writer" protein Methyltransferase Like 3 (METTL3) prevents age-related and diet-induced development of NAFLD and obesity in mice with improved inflammatory and metabolic phenotypes. Mechanistically, loss of METTL3 results in the differential expression of multiple mRNA transcripts marked with m6A, with a notable increase of DNA Damage Inducible Transcript 4 (DDIT4) mRNA level. In METTL3-deficient macrophages, there is a significant downregulation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway activity in response to cellular stress and cytokine stimulation, which can be restored by knockdown of DDIT4. Taken together, our findings identify the contribution of METTL3-mediated m6A modification of Ddit4 mRNA to macrophage metabolic reprogramming in NAFLD and obesity.

METTL3 participates in glioma development by regulating the methylation level of COL4A1.

PURPOSE: The role of RNA methylation in human cancers has emerged. Its biological function in glioma development is explored in the present study. METHODS: Differential levels and prognostic potentials of COL4A1 and METTL3 in glioma were analyzed by bioinformatic method. The regulatory effect of METTL3 on COL4A1 was assessed through qRT-PCR, MeRIP and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Their biological functions in influencing proliferative and metastatic capacities of glioma cells were examined by EdU, colony formation and Transwell assay, respectively. RESULTS: COL4A1 was upregulated in glioma tissues, and METTL3 was downregulated. Knockdown of METTL3 in U87 and U251 cells could reduce the methylation level of COL4A1 and upregulate its expression level. Intervention of COL4A1 suppressed proliferative and metastatic capacities of glioma cells, while intervention of METTL3 yielded the opposite results. CONCLUSION: METTL3 reduces the methylation level of COL4A1 and upregulates its expression level, which further stimulates the malignant development of glioma. METTL3/COL4A1 can be potential therapeutic targets of glioma.

The component of the m6A writer complex VIRMA is implicated in aggressive tumor phenotype, DNA damage response and cisplatin resistance in germ cell tumors.

BACKGROUND: Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are developmental cancers, tightly linked to embryogenesis and germ cell development. The recent and expanding field of RNA modifications is being increasingly implicated in such molecular events, as well as in tumor progression and resistance to therapy, but still rarely explored in GCTs. In this work, and as a follow-up of our recent study on this topic in TGCT tissue samples, we aim to investigate the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most abundant of such modifications in mRNA, in in vitro and in vivo models representative of such tumors. METHODS: Four cell lines representative of GCTs (three testicular and one mediastinal), including an isogenic cisplatin resistant subline, were used. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockdown of VIRMA was established and the chorioallantoic membrane assay was used to study its phenotypic effect in vivo. RESULTS: We demonstrated the differential expression of the various m6A writers, readers and erasers in GCT cell lines representative of the major classes of these tumors, seminomas and non-seminomas, and we evidenced changes occurring upon differentiation with all-trans retinoic acid treatment. We showed differential expression also among cells sensitive and resistant to cisplatin treatment, implicating these players in acquisition of cisplatin resistant phenotype. Knockdown of VIRMA led to disruption of the remaining methyltransferase complex and decrease in m6A abundance, as well as overall reduced tumor aggressiveness (with decreased cell viability, tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion) and increased sensitivity to cisplatin treatment, both in vitro and confirmed in vivo. Enhanced response to cisplatin after VIRMA knockdown was related to significant increase in DNA damage (with higher γH2AX and GADD45B levels) and downregulation of XLF and MRE11. CONCLUSIONS: VIRMA has an oncogenic role in GCTs confirming our previous tissue-based study and is further involved in response to cisplatin by interfering with DNA repair. These data contribute to our better understanding of the emergence of cisplatin resistance in GCTs and support recent attempts to therapeutically target elements of the m6A writer complex.

METTL14 facilitates global genome repair and suppresses skin tumorigenesis.

Global genome repair (GGR), a subpathway of nucleotide excision repair, corrects bulky helix-distorting DNA lesions across the whole genome and is essential for preventing mutagenesis and skin cancer. Here, we show that METTL14 (methyltransferase-like 14), a critical component of the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methyltransferase complex, promotes GGR through regulating m6A mRNA methylation-mediated DDB2 translation and suppresses ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation-induced skin tumorigenesis. UVB irradiation down-regulates METTL14 protein through NBR1-dependent selective autophagy. METTL14 knockdown decreases GGR and DDB2 abundance. Conversely, overexpression of wild-type METTL14 but not its enzymatically inactive mutant increases GGR and DDB2 abundance. METTL14 knockdown decreases m6A methylation and translation of the DDB2 transcripts. Adding DDB2 reverses the GGR repair defect in METTL14 knockdown cells, indicating that METTL14 facilitates GGR through regulating DDB2 m6A methylation and translation. Similarly, knockdown of YTHDF1, an m6A reader promoting translation of m6A-modified transcripts, decreases DDB2 protein levels. Both METTL14 and YTHDF1 bind to the DDB2 transcript. In mice, skin-specific heterozygous METTL14 deletion increases UVB-induced skin tumorigenesis. Furthermore, METTL14 as well as DDB2 is down-regulated in human and mouse skin tumors and by chronic UVB irradiation in mouse skin, and METTL14 level is associated with the DDB2 level, suggesting a tumor-suppressive role of METTL14 in UVB-associated skin tumorigenesis in association with DDB2 regulation. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that METTL14 is a target for selective autophagy and acts as a critical epitranscriptomic mechanism to regulate GGR and suppress UVB-induced skin tumorigenesis.

The disordered regions of the methyltransferase SETD2 govern its function by regulating its proteolysis and phase separation.

SETD2 is an important methyltransferase that methylates crucial substrates such as histone H3, tubulin, and STAT1 and also physically interacts with transcription and splicing regulators such as Pol II and various hnRNPs. Of note, SETD2 has a functionally uncharacterized extended N-terminal region, the removal of which leads to its stabilization. How this region regulates SETD2 half-life is unclear. Here we show that SETD2 consists of multiple long disordered regions across its length that cumulatively destabilize the protein by facilitating its proteasomal degradation. SETD2 disordered regions can reduce the half-life of the yeast homolog Set2 in mammalian cells as well as in yeast, demonstrating the importance of intrinsic structural features in regulating protein half-life. In addition to the shortened half-life, by performing fluorescence recovery after photobleaching assay we found that SETD2 forms liquid droplets in vivo, another property associated with proteins that contain disordered regions. The phase-separation behavior of SETD2 is exacerbated upon the removal of its N-terminal segment and results in activator-independent histone H3K36 methylation. Our findings reveal that disordered region-facilitated proteolysis is an important mechanism governing SETD2 function.

Conditional deficiency of m6A methyltransferase Mettl14 in substantia nigra alters dopaminergic neuron function.

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent internal modification in messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of eukaryotes and plays a vital role in post-transcriptional regulation. Recent studies demonstrated that m6A is essential for the normal function of the central nervous system (CNS), and the deregulation of m6A leads to a series of CNS diseases. However, the functional consequences of m6A deficiency within the dopaminergic neurons of adult brain are elusive. To evaluate the necessity of m6A in dopaminergic neuron functions, we conditionally deleted Mettl14, one of the most important part of m6A methyltransferase complexes, in the substantia nigra (SN) region enriched with dopaminergic neurons. By using rotarod test, pole test, open-field test and elevated plus maze, we found that the deletion of Mettl14 in the SN region induces impaired motor function and locomotor activity. Further molecular analysis revealed that Mettl14 deletion significantly reduced the total level of m6A in the mRNA isolated from SN region. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), an essential enzyme for dopamine synthesis, was also down-regulated upon Mettl14 deletion, while the activation of microglia and astrocyte was enhanced. Moreover, the expression of three essential transcription factors in the regulation of TH including Nurr1, Pitx3 and En1, with abundant m6A-binding sites on their RNA 3'-untranslated regions (UTR), was significantly decreased upon Mettl14 deletion in SN. Our finding first confirmed the significance of m6A in maintaining normal dopaminergic function in the SN of adult mouse.

METTL14 promotes tumorigenesis by regulating lncRNA OIP5-AS1/miR-98/ADAMTS8 signaling in papillary thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common type of cancer of the endocrine system. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as a novel class of gene expression regulators associated with tumorigenesis. Through preexisting databases available for differentially expressed lncRNAs in PTC, we uncovered that lncRNA OIP5-AS1 was significantly upregulated in PTC tissues. However, the function and the underlying mechanism of OIP5-AS1 in PTC are poorly understood. METHODS: Expression of lncRNA OIP5-AS1 and miR-98 in PTC tissue and cells were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). And expression of METTL14 and ADAMTS8 in PTC tissue and cells were measured by qRT-PCR and western blot. The biological functions of METTL14, OIP5-AS1, and ADAMTS8 were examined using MTT, colony formation, transwell, and wound healing assays in PTC cells. The relationship between METTL14 and OIP5-AS1 were evaluated using RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull down assay. And the relationship between miR-98 and ADAMTS8 were examined by luciferase reporter assay. For in vivo experiments, a xenograft model was used to investigate the effects of OIP5-AS1 and ADAMTS8 in PTC. RESULTS: Functional validation revealed that OIP5-AS1 overexpression promotes PTC cell proliferation, migration/invasion in vitro and in vivo, while OIP5-AS1 knockdown shows an opposite effect. Mechanistically, OIP5-AS1 acts as a target of miR-98, which activates ADAMTS8. OIP5-AS1 promotes PTC cell progression through miR-98/ADAMTS8 and EGFR, MEK/ERK pathways. Furthermore, RIP and RNA pull down assays identified OIP5-AS1 as the downstream target of METTL14. Overexpression of METTL14 suppresses PTC cell proliferation and migration/invasion through inhibiting OIP5-AS1 expression and regulating EGFR, MEK/ERK pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our findings demonstrate that OIP5-AS1 is a METTL14-regulated lncRNA that plays an important role in PTC progression and offers new insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying PTC development.

Upregulation of RNA cap methyltransferase RNMT drives ribosome biogenesis during T cell activation.

The m7G cap is ubiquitous on RNAPII-transcribed RNA and has fundamental roles in eukaryotic gene expression, however its in vivo role in mammals has remained unknown. Here, we identified the m7G cap methyltransferase, RNMT, as a key mediator of T cell activation, which specifically regulates ribosome production. During T cell activation, induction of mRNA expression and ribosome biogenesis drives metabolic reprogramming, rapid proliferation and differentiation generating effector populations. We report that RNMT is induced by T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation and co-ordinates the mRNA, snoRNA and rRNA production required for ribosome biogenesis. Using transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we demonstrate that RNMT selectively regulates the expression of terminal polypyrimidine tract (TOP) mRNAs, targets of the m7G-cap binding protein LARP1. The expression of LARP1 targets and snoRNAs involved in ribosome biogenesis is selectively compromised in Rnmt cKO CD4 T cells resulting in decreased ribosome synthesis, reduced translation rates and proliferation failure. By enhancing ribosome abundance, upregulation of RNMT co-ordinates mRNA capping and processing with increased translational capacity during T cell activation.

In Arabidopsis thaliana Cd differentially impacts on hormone genetic pathways in the methylation defective ddc mutant compared to wild type.

DNA methylation plays an important role in modulating plant growth plasticity in response to stress, but mechanisms involved in such control need further investigation. We used drm1 drm2 cmt3 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, defective in DNA methylation, to explore metabolic pathways downstream epigenetic modulation under cadmium (Cd) stress. To this aim, a transcriptomic analysis was performed on ddc and WT plants exposed to a long-lasting (21 d) Cd treatment (25/50 µM), focusing on hormone genetic pathways. Growth parameters and hormones amount were also estimated. Transcriptomic data and hormone quantification showed that, under prolonged Cd treatment, level and signalling of growth-sustaining hormones (auxins, CKs, GAs) were enhanced and/or maintained, while a decrease was detected for stress-related hormones (JA, ABA, SA), likely as a strategy to avoid the side effects of their long-lasting activation. Such picture was more effective in ddc than WT, already at 25 µM Cd, in line with its better growth performance. A tight relationship between methylation status and the modulation of hormone genetic pathways under Cd stress was assessed. We propose that the higher genome plasticity conferred to ddc by DNA hypomethylated status underlies its prompt response to modulate hormones genetic pathways and activity and assure a flexible growth.

The loss of RNA N6-adenosine methyltransferase Mettl14 in tumor-associated macrophages promotes CD8+ T cell dysfunction and tumor growth.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) can dampen the antitumor activity of T cells, yet the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. Here, we show that C1q+ TAMs are regulated by an RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) program and modulate tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells by expressing multiple immunomodulatory ligands. Macrophage-specific knockout of an m6A methyltransferase Mettl14 drives CD8+ T cell differentiation along a dysfunctional trajectory, impairing CD8+ T cells to eliminate tumors. Mettl14-deficient C1q+ TAMs show a decreased m6A abundance on and a higher level of transcripts of Ebi3, a cytokine subunit. In addition, neutralization of EBI3 leads to reinvigoration of dysfunctional CD8+ T cells and overcomes immunosuppressive impact in mice. We show that the METTL14-m6A levels are negatively correlated with dysfunctional T cell levels in patients with colorectal cancer, supporting the clinical relevance of this regulatory pathway. Thus, our study demonstrates how an m6A methyltransferase in TAMs promotes CD8+ T cell dysfunction and tumor progression.

Genetics animates structure: leveraging genetic interactions to study the dynamics of ribosome biogenesis.

The assembly of eukaryotic ribosomes follows an assembly line-like pathway in which numerous trans-acting biogenesis factors act on discrete pre-ribosomal intermediates to progressively shape the nascent subunits into their final functional architecture. Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy have led to high-resolution structures of many pre-ribosomal intermediates; however, these static snapshots do not capture the dynamic transitions between these intermediates. To this end, molecular genetics can be leveraged to reveal how the biogenesis factors drive these dynamic transitions. Here, we briefly review how we recently used the deletion of BUD23 (bud23∆) to understand its role in the assembly of the ribosomal small subunit. The strong growth defect of bud23∆ mutants places a selective pressure on yeast cells for the occurrence of extragenic suppressors that define a network of functional interactions among biogenesis factors. Mapping these suppressing mutations to recently published structures of pre-ribosomal complexes allowed us to contextualize these suppressing mutations and derive a detailed model in which Bud23 promotes a critical transition event to facilitate folding of the central pseudoknot of the small subunit. This mini-review highlights how genetics can be used to understand the dynamics of complex structures, such as the maturing ribosome.

Multiple Functions of RNA Methylation in T Cells: A Review.

RNA modification represents one of the most ubiquitous mechanisms of epigenetic regulation and plays an essential role in modulating cell proliferation, differentiation, fate determination, and other biological activities. At present, over 170 types of RNA modification have been discovered in messenger RNA (mRNA) and noncoding RNA (ncRNA). RNA methylation, as an abundant and widely studied epigenetic modification, is crucial for regulating various physiological or pathological states, especially immune responses. Considering the biological significance of T cells as a defense against viral infection and tumor challenge, in this review, we will summarize recent findings of how RNA methylation regulates T cell homeostasis and function, discuss the open questions in this rapidly expanding field of RNA modification, and provide the theoretical basis and potential therapeutic strategies involving targeting of RNA methylation to orchestrate beneficial T cell immune responses.

Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the RNA M6A Demethylases FTO Potently Support the Survival of Dopamine Neurons.

The fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO), an RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase, is an important regulator of central nervous system development, neuronal signaling and disease. We present here the target-tailored development and biological characterization of small-molecule inhibitors of FTO. The active compounds were identified using high-throughput molecular docking and molecular dynamics screening of the ZINC compound library. In FTO binding and activity-inhibition assays the two best inhibitors demonstrated Kd = 185 nM; IC50 = 1.46 µM (compound 2) and Kd = 337 nM; IC50 = 28.9 µM (compound 3). Importantly, the treatment of mouse midbrain dopaminergic neurons with the compounds promoted cellular survival and rescued them from growth factor deprivation induced apoptosis already at nanomolar concentrations. Moreover, both the best inhibitors demonstrated good blood-brain-barrier penetration in the model system, 31.7% and 30.8%, respectively. The FTO inhibitors demonstrated increased potency as compared to our recently developed ALKBH5 m6A demethylase inhibitors in protecting dopamine neurons. Inhibition of m6A RNA demethylation by small-molecule drugs, as presented here, has therapeutic potential and provides tools for the identification of disease-modifying m6A RNAs in neurogenesis and neuroregeneration. Further refinement of the lead compounds identified in this study can also lead to unprecedented breakthroughs in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

EBP1 regulates Suv39H1 stability via the ubiquitin-proteasome system in neural development.

ErbB3-binding protein 1 (EBP1) is a multifunctional protein associated with neural development. Loss of Ebp1 leads to upregulation of the gene silencing unit suppressor of variegation 3-9 homolog 1 (Suv39H1)/DNA (cytosine 5)-methyltransferase (DNMT1). EBP1 directly binds to the promoter region of DNMT1, repressing DNA methylation, and hence, promoting neural development. In the current study, we showed that EBP1 suppresses histone methyltransferase activity of Suv39H1 by promoting ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS)-dependent degradation of Suv39H1. In addition, we showed that EBP1 directly interacts with Suv39H1, and this interaction is required for recruiting the E3 ligase MDM2 for Suv39H1 degradation. Thus, our findings suggest that EBP1 regulates UPS-dependent degradation of Suv39H1 to govern proper heterochromatin assembly during neural development. [BMB Reports 2021; 54(8): 413-418].