RNA N6-methyladenosine: A promising molecular target in metabolic diseases

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine is a prevalent and abundant transcriptome modification, and its methylation regulates the various aspects of RNAs, including transcription, translation, processing and metabolism. The methylation of N6-methyladenosine is highly associated with numerous cellular processes, which plays important roles in the development of physiological process and diseases. The high prevalence of metabolic diseases poses a serious threat to human health, but its pathological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Recent studies have reported that the progression of metabolic diseases is closely related to the expression of RNA N6-methyladenosine modification. In this review, we aim to summarize the biological and clinical significance of RNA N6-methyladenosine modification in metabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and immune-related metabolic diseases.