N6-Methyladenosine in RNA and DNA: An Epitranscriptomic and Epigenetic Player Implicated in Determination of Stem Cell Fate

Figure 1

Dynamic regulation of genomic DNA N6-methyladenosine (m6dA) levels by unknown/known components and the potential functions of m6dA in the regulation of gene expression. The coordination between m6dA writer(s) and m6dA erasers maintains the m6dA levels in accordance with physiological conditions and the development and growth stages. (a) The hypothesis for m6dA-mediated regulation of gene expression is that by decreasing the binding energies of base pairs, m6dA could destabilize the DNA duplexes, facilitating m6dA-enriched regions of DNA, unwinding, or making the DNA structure more open for transcription initiation. The m6dA readers (to be identified) are highly affinitive to and bind to the m6dA sites, then the readers may recruit their interaction factors involved in transcription initiation, repression, and so on. (b) Alternatively, it is possible though that these transcription factors might serve as reader(s) of m6dA, directly functioning as regulators of gene expression.

(a)

(b)