Multiple functions of m(6)A RNA methylation in cancer

First identified in 1974, m(6)A RNA methylation, which serves as a predominant internal modification of RNA in higher eukaryotes, has gained prodigious interest in recent years. Modifications of m(6)A are dynamic and reversible in mammalian cells, which have been proposed as another layer of epigenetic regulation similar to DNA and histone modifications. m(6)A RNA methylation is involved in all stages in the life cycle of RNA, ranging from RNA processing, through nuclear export, translation modulation to RNA degradation, which suggests its potential of influencing a plurality of aspects of RNA metabolism. All of the recent studies have pointed to a complicated regulation network of m(6)A modification in different tissues, cell lines, and space-time models. m(6)A methylation has been found to have an impact on tumor initiation and progression through various mechanisms. Furthermore, m(6)A RNA methylation has provided new opportunities for early stage diagnosis and treatment of cancers. Herein, we review the chemical basis of m(6)A RNA methylation, its multiple functions and potential significance in cancer.