RNA Modification in Metabolism

Abstract

Epigenetic regulation in disease development has been witnessed within this decade. RNA methylation is the predominant form of epigenetic regulation, and the most prevalent modification in RNA is N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A). Recently, RNA modification has emerged as a potential target for disease treatment. RNA modification is a posttranscriptional gene expression regulation that is involved in both physiological and pathological processes. Evidence suggests that m⁶A methylation significantly affects RNA metabolism, and its abnormal changes have been observed in a variety of diseases. Metabolic diseases are a series of diseases caused by abnormal metabolic processes of the body, the common metabolic diseases include diabetes mellitus, obesity, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, etc.; although the pathogenesis of these diseases differs from each other to the current understanding, most recent studies suggested pivotal role m⁶A in modulating these metabolic diseases, and m⁶A-based drug development has been on the agenda. This paper reviewed recent understanding of RNA modification in metabolic diseases, hoping to provide systematic information for those in this area.