SUMMARY N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal modification in mammalian mRNA. This modification is reversible and non-stoichiometric and adds another layer to the dynamic control of mRNA metabolism. The stability of m6A-modified mRNA is regulated by an m6A reader protein, human YTHDF2, which recognizes m6A and reduces the stability of target transcripts. Looking at additional functional roles for the modification, we find that anotherm6A reader protein, human YTHDF1, actively promotes protein synthesis by interacting with translation machinery. In a unified mechanism of m6A-based regulation in the cytoplasm, YTHDF2-mediated degradation controls the lifetime of target transcripts, whereas YTHDF1-mediated translation promotion increases translation efficiency, ensuring effective protein production from dynamic transcripts that are marked by m6A. Therefore, the m6A modification in mRNA endows gene expression with fast responses and controllable protein production through these mechanisms.

SUMMARY N6-methyladenosine (m6A) represents the most prevalent internal modification in mammalian mRNAs. Despite its functional importance in various fundamental bioprocesses, the studies of m6A in cancer have been limited. Here we show that FTO, as an m6A demethylase, plays a critical oncogenic role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). FTO is highly expressed in AMLs with t(11q23)/MLL-rearrangements, t(15;17)/PML-RARA, FLT3-ITD and/or NPM1 mutations. FTO enhances leukemic oncogene-mediated cell transformation and leukemogenesis, and inhibits all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA)-induced AML cell differentiation, through regulating expression of targets such as ASB2 and RARA by reducing m6A levels in these mRNA transcripts. Collectively, our study demonstrates the functional importance of the m6A methylation and the corresponding proteins in cancer, and provides profound insights into leukemogensis and drug response.