RsmG is the methyltransferase responsible for the N7 methylation of G527 of 16S rRNA. Here we show that RsmG binds preferably to premature bacterial small subunit rRNA. The presence of ribosomal proteins also influences the stability of RsmG–rRNA complexes.

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant nucleotide modification observed in eukaryotic mRNA. Changes in m6A levels in transcriptome are tightly correlated to expression levels of m6A methyltransferases and demethylases. Abnormal expression levels of methyltransferases and demethylases are observed in various diseases and health conditions such as cancer, male infertility, and obesity. This research explores the efficacy of m6A‐modified RNA as an anticancer drug target. We discovered a 12‐mer peptide that binds specifically to m6A‐modified RNA using phage display experiments. Our fluorescence‐based assays illustrate the selected peptide binds to methylated RNA with lower micromolar affinity and inhibit the binding of protein FTO, a demethylase enzyme specific to m6A modification. When cancer cell lines were treated with mtp1, it led to an increase in m6A levels and a decrease in cell viability. Hence our results illustrate the potential of mtp1 to be developed as a drug for cancer.