WTAP participates in neuronal damage by protein translation of NLRP3 in an m6A-YTHDF1-dependent manner after traumatic brain injury.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common complication of acute and severe neurosurgery. Remodeling of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) stabilization may be an attractive treatment option for neurological dysfunction after TBI. In the present study, the authors explored the epigenetic methylation of RNA-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation after TBI.

Methods: Neurological dysfunction, histopathology, and associated molecules were examined in conditional knockout (CKO) WTAP [flox/flox, Camk2a-cre] , WTAP flox/flox , and pAAV-U6-shRNA-YTHDF1-transfected mice. Primary neurons were used in vitro to further explore the molecular mechanisms of action of WTAP/YTHDF1 following neural damage.

Results: The authors found that WTAP and m6A levels were upregulated at an early stage after TBI, and conditional deletion of WTAP in neurons did not affect neurological function but promoted functional recovery after TBI. Conditional deletion of WTAP in neurons suppressed neuroinflammation at the TBI early phase: WTAP could directly act on NLRP3 mRNA, regulate NLRP3 mRNA m6A level, and promote NLRP3 expression after neuronal injury. Further investigation found that YTH domain of YTHDF1 could directly bind to NLRP3 mRNA and regulate NLRP3 protein expression. YTHDF1 mutation or silencing improved neuronal injury, inhibited Caspase-1 activation, and decreased IL-1β levels. This effect was mediated via suppression of NLRP3 protein translation, which also reversed the stimulative effect of WTAP overexpression on NLRP3 expression and inflammation.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that WTAP participates in neuronal damage by protein translation of NLRP3 in an m6A-YTHDF1-dependent manner after TBI and that WTAP/m6A/YTHDF1 downregulation therapeutics is a viable and promising approach for preserving neuronal function after TBI, which can provide support for targeted drug development.