Modifications in mRNA constitute ancient mechanisms to regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is the most prominent mRNA modification, and is installed by a large methyltransferase complex (the m⁶A ‘writer’), not only specifically bound by RNA-binding proteins (the m⁶A ‘readers’), but also removed by demethylases (the m⁶A ‘erasers’). m⁶A mRNA modifications have been linked to regulation at multiple steps in mRNA processing. In analogy to the regulation of gene expression by miRNAs, we propose that the main function of m⁶A is post-transcriptional fine-tuning of gene expression. In contrast to miRNA regulation, which mostly reduces gene expression, we argue that m⁶A provides a fast mean to post-transcriptionally maximize gene expression. Additionally, m⁶A appears to have a second function during developmental transitions by targeting m⁶A-marked transcripts for degradation.

mRNA 中的修饰构成了转录后调节基因表达的古老机制。N ⁶ -甲基腺苷 (m ⁶ A) 是最突出的 mRNA 修饰，由一个大的甲基转移酶复合物（m ⁶ A“写入器”）安装，不仅与 RNA 结合蛋白（m ⁶ A“阅读器”）特异性结合'），但也被去甲基酶（m ⁶ A '橡皮擦'）去除。m ⁶ A mRNA 修饰与 mRNA 加工中多个步骤的调节有关。类似于 miRNA 对基因表达的调节，我们提出 m ⁶的主要功能A是基因表达的转录后微调。与主要降低基因表达的 miRNA 调节相反，我们认为 m ⁶ A 提供了一种快速的方法来在转录后最大化基因表达。此外，通过靶向 m ⁶ A 标记的转录本进行降解，m ⁶ A 在发育转变期间似乎具有第二个功能。