R-loops’ m6A modification and its roles in cancers

oleh: Yue Qiu, Changfeng Man, Luyu Zhu, Shiqi Zhang, Xiaoyan Wang, Dandan Gong, Yu Fan

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: BMC 2024-10-01

Deskripsi

Abstract R-loops are three-stranded nucleic acid structures composed of an RNA–DNA hybrid and a displaced DNA strand. They are widespread and play crucial roles in regulating gene expression, DNA replication, and DNA and histone modifications. However, their regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. As R-loop detection technology advances, changes in R-loop levels have been observed in cancer models, often associated with transcription-replication conflicts and genomic instability. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an RNA epigenetic modification that regulates gene expression by affecting RNA localization, splicing, translation, and degradation. Upon reviewing the literature, we found that R-loops with m6A modifications are implicated in tumor development and progression. This article summarizes the molecular mechanisms and detection methods of R-loops and m6A modifications in gene regulation, and reviews recent research on m6A-modified R-loops in oncology. Our goal is to provide new insights into the origins of genomic instability in cancer and potential strategies for targeted therapy.