Phase transition of WTAP regulates m6A modification of interferon-stimulated genes
N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) is the most prevalent modification of mRNA which controls diverse physiological processes. Although m 6 A modification has been reported to regulate type I interferon (IFN) responses by targeting the mRNA of IFN-β and the interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), the detailed mechanism of how m 6 A methyltransferase complex (MTC) rapidly responds to conduct the modification on nascent mRNA during IFN-β stimulation remains largely unclear. Here, we demonstrate that WTAP, the adaptor protein of m 6 A MTC, undergoes dephosphorylation-regulated phase transition from aggregates to liquid-like condensates under IFN-β stimulation, thereby mediating m 6 A modification of a subset of ISGs to restrict their expression. The phase transition of WTAP promotes the interaction with nucleus-translocated transcription factor STAT1, recruits MTC to the promoter regions of ISGs and directs the co-transcriptional m 6 A modification on ISG mRNAs. Collectively, our findings reveal a novel regulatory role of WTAP phase transition in manipulating signaling pathways and fine-tuning immune response by orchestrating dynamic m 6 A modification through the cooperation of transcription factors and MTC. Our findings unveil a novel mechanism by which WTAP phase transition controls immune homeostasis via transcription factor-MTC-driven dynamic m 6 A modification, thereby proposing a potential therapeutic target for alleviating immune dysregulation.
Authors
- Shouheng Jin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2728-2859)
- Jun Cui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8000-3708)
- Chenqiu Zhang
- Jie Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4677-3001)
- Shujian Cai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1959-9995)
- Jian Ren (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4161-1292)
- Xiaotong Luo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7367-9910)
Institutions
- Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
- Peking University (CN)
- Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (CN)
- Center for Life Sciences (CN)
- Tsinghua University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- eLife
- Published
- 2025-05-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.100601.3
- Primary Topic
- RNA modifications and cancer
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province