YTHDF1 is pivotal for maintenance of cardiac homeostasis

Abstract

The YTH-domain family (YTHDF) of RNA binding proteins can control gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by regulating mRNAs with N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modifications. Despite the established importance of m⁶A in the heart, the cardiac role of specific m⁶A-binding proteins remains unclear. Here, we characterized the function of YTHDF1 in cardiomyocytes using a newly generated cardiac-restricted mouse model. Deletion of YTHDF1 in adult cardiomyocytes led to hypertrophy, fibrosis, and dysfunction. Using mass spectrometry, we identified the necessity of YTHDF1 for the expression of cardiomyocyte membrane raft proteins. Specifically, YTHDF1 bound to m⁶A-modified Caveolin 1 (Cav1) mRNA and favored its translation. We further demonstrated that YTHDF1 regulates downstream ERK signaling. Altogether, our findings highlight a novel role for YTHDF1 as a post-transcriptional regulator of caveolar proteins which is necessary for the maintenance of cardiac function.