Summary: New research reveals how a tiny chemical mark on RNA helps wire the brain during development. Scientists discovered that m6A methylation regulates the production of proteins essential for axon growth, including APC and β-actin.
This precise control supports the formation of neural circuits, and its disruption has been linked to conditions like autism and schizophrenia. The findings suggest that local molecular changes can have wide-reaching effects on brain function and mental health.
Key Facts:
- RNA Methylation Role: m6A methylation influences the local production of proteins vital for neuron growth.
- Protein Impact: APC and β-actin are essential for organizing cell structure and enabling axon development.
- Mental Health Link: Disruptions in this molecular process are associated with autism and schizophrenia.
Source: NYU
A team of researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi has uncovered a key mechanism that helps shape how our brains are wired, and what can happen when that process is disrupted.
In a new study published in Cell Reports, the RNA-MIND Lab at NYU Abu Dhabi, led by Professor of Biology Dan Ohtan Wang, with Research Associate Belal Shohayeb, reveals how a small molecular mark on messenger RNA, called m6A methylation, regulates the production of essential proteins inside growing neurons.
This process plays a critical role in the development of axons, the long extensions that neurons use to connect and communicate with each other.
The study shows that this molecular mark controls the production of a protein called Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC), which helps organize the internal structure of nerve cells and is needed to locally produce β-actin, a key building block of cytoskeleton to support axon growth.
Importantly, the team also found that genetic mutations linked to autism and schizophrenia can interfere with this process, potentially affecting how the brain develops.
“This research connects a global process, how proteins are made across the cell, with highly local effects in neurons that guide brain development,” said Ohtan Wang.
“We’re learning that when these finely tuned systems break down, the impact can be seen in conditions like autism and schizophrenia. Understanding these molecular details could open the door to new ways of thinking about treatment and early intervention.”
As the brain forms, neurons must grow, connect, and communicate in precise ways. This research sheds light on the inner workings of that process and deepens our understanding of how even the smallest molecular changes can have far-reaching effects.
About this genetics, mental health, and neurodevelopment research news
Author: Adam Pockriss
Source: NYU
Contact: Adam Pockriss – NYU
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“m6A RNA methylation-mediated control of global APC expression is required for local translation of β-actin and axon development” by Dan Ohtan Wang et al. Cell Reports
Abstract
m6A RNA methylation-mediated control of global APC expression is required for local translation of β-actin and axon development
The spatial regulation of mRNAs in neurons, including their localization and translation, is controlled by RNA-binding proteins and is critical for neuronal development.
In this study, we present evidence that the multifunctional RNA-binding protein adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is encoded by an mRNA modified with N6-methyladenosine (m6A).
This modification facilitates the translation of APC in neuronal somata via YTH domain-containing family (YTHDF) m6A reader proteins.
Disrupted APC expression, caused by reduced expression of the m6A writer METTL14 or reader YTHDF1, or by overexpression of METTL14 mutants carrying human missense mutations linked to autism and schizophrenia, impairs the transport and local translation of APC-regulated target mRNA β-actin in axons and growth cones.
Such disruptions consequently hinder axon development both in vitro and in vivo.
These findings reveal a mechanism by which m6A-regulated global expression of the RNA-binding protein APC governs axonal mRNA translation and development.
