Roles of N6-methyladenosine writers, readers and erasers in the mammalian germline

Abstract

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is the most abundant internal modification of mRNAs in eukaryotes. Numerous studies have shown that m⁶A plays key roles in many biological and pathophysiological processes, including fertility. The factors involved in m⁶A-dependent mRNA regulation include writers, which deposit the m⁶A mark, erasers, which remove it, and readers, which bind to m⁶A-modified transcripts and mediate the regulation of mRNA fate. Many of these proteins are highly expressed in the germ cells of mammals, and some have been linked to fertility disorders in human patients. In this review, we summarise recent findings on the important roles played by proteins involved in m⁶A biology in mammalian gametogenesis and fertility. Continued study of the m⁶A pathway in the mammalian germline will shed further light on the importance of epitranscriptomics in reproduction and may lead to effective treatment of human fertility disorders.