High-throughput microarray reveals the epitranscriptome-wide landscape of m6A-modified circRNA in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background Emerging transcriptome-wide high-throughput screenings reveal the landscape and functions of RNAs, such as circular RNAs (circRNAs), in human cancer. In addition, the post-transcriptional RNA internal modifications, especially N-6-methyladenosine (m(6)A), greatly enrich the variety of RNAs metabolism. However, the m(6)A modification on circRNAs has yet to be addressed. Results Here, we report an epitranscriptome-wide mapping of m(6)A-modified circRNAs (m(6)A-circRNA) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Utilizing the data of m(6)A methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and m(6)A-circRNAs microarray, we found that m(6)A-circRNAs exhibited particular modification styles in OSCC, which was independent of m(6)A-mRNA. Besides, m(6)A modification on circRNAs frequently occurred on the long exons in the front part of the coding sequence (CDS), which was distinct from m(6)A-mRNA that in 3'-UTR or stop codon. Conclusion In conclusion, our work preliminarily demonstrates the traits of m(6)A-circRNAs, which may bring enlighten for the roles of m(6)A-circRNAs in OSCC.

Automated summary

This study preliminarily demonstrates the characteristics of m(6)A-circRNAs in oral squamous cell carcinoma, providing insights into the roles of m(6)A-circRNAs in this cancer.