METTL3-dependent m6A modification programs T follicular helper cell differentiation.

ABSTRACT

T follicular helper (TFH) cells are specialized effector CD4+ T cells critical to humoral immunity. Whether post-transcriptional regulation has a function in TFH cells is unknown. Here, we show conditional deletion of METTL3 (a methyltransferase catalyzing mRNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification) in CD4+ T cells impairs TFH differentiation and germinal center responses in a cell-intrinsic manner in mice. METTL3 is necessary for expression of important TFH signature genes, including Tcf7, Bcl6, Icos and Cxcr5 and these effects depend on intact methyltransferase activity. m6A-miCLIP-seq shows the 3' UTR of Tcf7 mRNA is subjected to METTL3-dependent m6A modification. Loss of METTL3 or mutation of the Tcf7 3' UTR m6A site results in accelerated decay of Tcf7 transcripts. Importantly, ectopic expression of TCF-1 (encoded by Tcf7) rectifies TFH defects owing to METTL3 deficiency. Our findings indicate that METTL3 stabilizes Tcf7 transcripts via m6A modification to ensure activation of a TFH transcriptional program, indicating a pivotal function of post-transcriptional regulation in promoting TFH cell differentiation.