N1-methyladenosine (m1A) is a prevalent and reversible post-transcriptional RNA modification that decorates tRNA, rRNA and mRNA. Recent studies based on technical advances in analytical chemistry and high-throughput sequencing methods have revealed the crucial roles of m1A RNA modification in gene regulation and biological processes. In this review, we focus on progress in the study of m1A methyltransferases, m1A demethylases and m1A-dependent RNA-binding proteins and highlight the biological mechanisms and functions of m1A RNA modification, as well as its association with human disease. We also summarize the current understanding of detection approaches for m1A RNA modification.

Primary cilia are antenna-like subcellular structures to act as signaling platforms to regulate many cellular processes and embryonic development. m1A RNA modification plays key roles in RNA metabolism and gene expression; however, the physiological function of m1A modification remains largely unknown. Here we find that the m1A demethylase ALKBH3 significantly inhibits ciliogenesis in mammalian cells by its demethylation activity. Mechanistically, ALKBH3 removes m1A sites on mRNA of Aurora A, a master suppressor of ciliogenesis. Depletion of ALKBH3 enhances Aurora A mRNA decay and inhibits its translation. Moreover, alkbh3 morphants exhibit ciliary defects, including curved body, pericardial edema, abnormal otoliths, and dilation in pronephric ducts in zebrafish embryos, which are significantly rescued by wild-type alkbh3, but not by its catalytically inactive mutant. The ciliary defects caused by ALKBH3 depletion in both vertebrate cells and embryos are also significantly reversed by ectopic expression of Aurora A mRNA. Together, our data indicate that ALKBH3-dependent m1A demethylation has a crucial role in the regulation of Aurora A mRNA, which is essential for ciliogenesis and cilia-associated developmental events in vertebrates.

Background: Verticillium dahliae, the causal agent of Verticillium wilt, is notoriously invasive in many crops and has been involved in numerous epidemics worldwide. Bacillus species, as representatives of biocontrol bacteria, produce a variety of lipopeptides (LPs), which are useful as biofungicides to many pathogenic fungi, including Verticillium dahliae. This study will explore the mechanism of resistance of V. dahliae to Bacillus and biocontrol bacteria.Results: By using in vitro confrontation bioassays, we found that under the stress induced by Bacillus, the spore vitality of V. dahliae with larger colonies was higher, and more abundant microsclerotia were formed. Then, according to the RNA-Seq analysis, the target of rapamycin (TOR) and mitophagy pathways were enriched among the significantly upregulated 542 genes observed in two co-culture groups with different colony sizes. In addition, in the group of V. dahliae with large colonies, the pathways related to cell wall synthesis, microsclerotia formation and the clearance of reactive oxygen species were regulated, and the expression of genes was up-regulated.Conclusion: This study found that the larger colonies of V. dahliae were more resistant to the antagonistic actions of Bacillus and the likelihood of the formation of homeostasis. Therefore, the prevention of Verticillium wilt by Bacillus is more effective than the treatment of an active fungal infection. These transcriptomic insights provide direction for the use of fungicides in the prevention and treatment of diseases such as Verticillium wilt.

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RNA药物能够通过识别互补序列靶向对应基因以抑制特定蛋白或RNA的表达，或通过翻译合成目的基因编码的蛋白来发挥遗传性疾病治疗作用。RNA药物主要分为寡核苷酸药物（包括反义寡核苷酸、小干扰RNA和RNA适配体）和信使RNA药物等。其中，反义寡核苷酸和小干扰RNA已用于临床治疗遗传病，而RNA适配体和信使RNA药物目前还处于临床试验阶段。当前主要通过对RNA药物进行化学修饰（如对信使RNA进行假尿嘧啶修饰）来降低免疫原性和提升药物疗效，以及开发纳米粒载体、细胞外囊泡和类病毒载体等递送载体来解决RNA药物的稳定性、特异靶向性和安全性等问题。本文概述了目前用于治疗遗传病的11种RNA药物的具体作用分子机制，并简单讨论了RNA药物的化学修饰及递送载体的研究现状。