N 6 -Methyladenosine (m 6 A) is a dynamic mRNA modification which regulates protein expression in various posttranscriptional levels. Functional studies of m 6 A in nervous system have focused on its writers and erasers so far, whether and how m 6 A readers mediate m 6 A functions through recognizing and binding their target mRNA remains poorly understood. Here, we find that the expression of axon guidance receptor Robo3.1 which plays important roles in midline crossing of spinal commissural axons is regulated precisely at translational level. The m 6 A reader YTHDF1 binds to and positively regulates translation of m 6 A-modified Robo3.1 mRNA. Either mutation of m 6 A sites in Robo3.1 mRNA or YTHDF1 knockdown or knockout leads to dramatic reduction of Robo3.1 protein without affecting Robo3.1 mRNA level. Specific ablation of Ythdf1 in spinal commissural neurons results in pre-crossing axon guidance defects. Our findings identify a mechanism that YTHDF1-mediated translation of m 6 A-modified Robo3.1 mRNA controls pre-crossing axon guidance in spinal cord.

The precise control of growth and maintenance of the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dendrite arborization is critical for normal visual functions in mammals. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here we find that the m6A reader YTHDF2 is highly expressed in the mouse RGCs. Conditional knockout (cKO) of Ythdf2 in the retina leads to increased RGC dendrite branching, resulting in more synapses in the inner plexiform layer. Interestingly, the Ythdf2 cKO mice show improved visual acuity compared with control mice. We further demonstrate that Ythdf2 cKO in the retina protects RGCs from dendrite degeneration caused by the experimental acute glaucoma model. We identify the m6A-modified YTHDF2 target transcripts which mediate these effects. This study reveals mechanisms by which YTHDF2 restricts RGC dendrite development and maintenance. YTHDF2 and its target mRNAs might be valuable in developing new treatment approaches for glaucomatous eyes.

Messenger RNA m 6 A modification is shown to regulate local translation in axons. However, how the m 6 A codes in axonal mRNAs are read and decoded by the m 6 A reader proteins is still unknown. Here, it is found that the m 6 A readers YTHDF1 and YTHDF2 are both expressed in cerebellar granule cells (GCs) and their axons. Knockdown (KD) of YTHDF1 or YTHDF2 significantly increases GC axon growth rates in vitro. By integrating anti-YTHDF1&2 RIP-Seq with the quantitative proteomic analysis or RNA-seq after KD of YTHDF1 or YTHDF2, a group of transcripts which may mediate the regulation of GC axon growth by YTHDFs is identified. Among them, Dvl1 and Wnt5a, encoding the key components of Wnt pathway, are further found to be locally translated in axons, which are controlled by YTHDF1 and YTHDF2, respectively. Specific ablation of Ythdf1 or Ythdf2 in GCs increases parallel fiber growth, promotes synapse formation in cerebellum in vivo, and improves motor coordination ability. Together, this study identifies a mechanism by which the m 6 A readers YTHDF1 and YTHDF2 work synergistically on the Wnt5a pathway through regulating local translation in GC axons to control cerebellar parallel fiber development.