No abstract

m6A modification is the most prevalent RNA modification in eukaryotes. As the critical N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) methyltransferase, the roles of methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3) in colorectal cancer (CRC) are controversial. Here, we confirmed that METTL3, a critical m6A methyltransferase, could facilitate CRC progression in vitro and in vivo. Further, we found METTL3 promoted CRC cell proliferation by methylating the m6A site in 3′‐untranslated region (UTR) of CCNE1 mRNA to stabilize it. Moreover, we found butyrate, a classical intestinal microbial metabolite, could down‐regulate the expression of METTL3 and related cyclin E1 to inhibit CRC development. METTL3 promotes CRC proliferation by stabilizing CCNE1 mRNA in an m6A‐dependent manner, representing a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CRC.

Among a number of mRNA modifications, N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification is the most common type in eukaryotes and nuclear-replicating viruses. m 6 A has a significant role in numerous cancer types, including leukemia, brain tumors, liver cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer. Although m 6 A methyltransferases are essential during RNA modifications, the biological functions of m 6 A and the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated, predominantly due to the limited detection methods for m 6 A. In the present review, the currently available m 6 A detection methods and the respective scope of their applications are presented to facilitate the further investigation of the roles of m 6 A in biological process.