Programmable RNA <i>N</i> <sup>6</sup> ,2´‐O‐Dimethyladenosine Editing

N<sup>6</sup>,2'-O-dimethyladenosine (m<sup>6</sup>Am) is a prevalent RNA modification located at the first transcribed nucleotide adjacent to the 5' cap of mRNAs, where it has been implicated in gene regulation. However, the lack of methods for precise, transcript-specific manipulation of m<sup>6</sup>Am has limited its functional dissection. Here, we develop a programmable RNA-editing platform, termed Targeted m<sup>6</sup>Am Methylation (TAmM), that enables site-specific installation of m<sup>6</sup>Am on selected cellular transcripts. TAmM is engineered by fusing the catalytically inactive RfxCas13d (dCasRx) with the m<sup>6</sup>Am methyltransferase PCIF1, allowing guided deposition of m<sup>6</sup>Am at cap-proximal nucleotides. Using TAmM, we achieve efficient and specific m<sup>6</sup>Am installation at single-nucleotide resolution, as validated by LC-MS/MS. Targeted m<sup>6</sup>Am editing does not alter steady-state mRNA abundance but modulates protein output in a transcript-dependent manner. Mechanistically, m<sup>6</sup>Am installation enhances polysome association, indicating a direct role in translational regulation. Functional interrogation demonstrates that cap-proximal m<sup>6</sup>Am deposition on CTNNB1 increases β-catenin protein expression, promoting cell proliferation, clonogenicity, and migration in cancer cell models. Importantly, TAmM exhibits high fidelity, with negligible effects on the global m<sup>6</sup>Am landscape, transcriptome, or proteome. Our study establishes TAmM as a precise and versatile platform for programmable m<sup>6</sup>Am manipulation and reveals transcript-specific roles of m<sup>6</sup>Am in gene regulation.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Science
Published
2026-03-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.74815
Primary Topic
RNA modifications and cancer
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Programmable RNA N 6 ,2´‐O‐Dimethyladenosine Editing

Yaran Liu, Guangzhi Ma, Mengzhe Guo, Yongquan He et al.
Advanced Science
RNA modifications and cancer
article

Programmable RNA N 6 ,2´‐O‐Dimethyladenosine Editing

Yaran Liu, Guangzhi Ma, Mengzhe Guo, Yongquan He, Xiangmin Tan, Bo Yuan, Ping Wang, Yang Li, Qiang Sun, Jian Zhou
article en

Abstract

N<sup>6</sup>,2'-O-dimethyladenosine (m<sup>6</sup>Am) is a prevalent RNA modification located at the first transcribed nucleotide adjacent to the 5' cap of mRNAs, where it has been implicated in gene regulation. However, the lack of methods for precise, transcript-specific manipulation of m<sup>6</sup>Am has limited its functional dissection. Here, we develop a programmable RNA-editing platform, termed Targeted m<sup>6</sup>Am Methylation (TAmM), that enables site-specific installation of m<sup>6</sup>Am on selected cellular transcripts. TAmM is engineered by fusing the catalytically inactive RfxCas13d (dCasRx) with the m<sup>6</sup>Am methyltransferase PCIF1, allowing guided deposition of m<sup>6</sup>Am at cap-proximal nucleotides. Using TAmM, we achieve efficient and specific m<sup>6</sup>Am installation at single-nucleotide resolution, as validated by LC-MS/MS. Targeted m<sup>6</sup>Am editing does not alter steady-state mRNA abundance but modulates protein output in a transcript-dependent manner. Mechanistically, m<sup>6</sup>Am installation enhances polysome association, indicating a direct role in translational regulation. Functional interrogation demonstrates that cap-proximal m<sup>6</sup>Am deposition on CTNNB1 increases β-catenin protein expression, promoting cell proliferation, clonogenicity, and migration in cancer cell models. Importantly, TAmM exhibits high fidelity, with negligible effects on the global m<sup>6</sup>Am landscape, transcriptome, or proteome. Our study establishes TAmM as a precise and versatile platform for programmable m<sup>6</sup>Am manipulation and reveals transcript-specific roles of m<sup>6</sup>Am in gene regulation.

Advanced Science
Zhejiang International Studies University (CN), Binzhou Medical University (CN), Xuzhou Medical College (CN), Sichuan University (CN), West China Hospital of Sichuan University (CN), Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (CN), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital (CN), Beijing Advanced Sciences and Innovation Center (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 22%
RNA modifications and cancer
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.