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RNA m6A methylation and regulatory proteins in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Hypertension Research volume 47, pages 1273–1287 (2024)Cite this article

Abstract

m6A (N6‑methyladenosine) is the most common and abundant apparent modification in mRNA of eukaryotes. The modification of m6A is regulated dynamically and reversibly by methyltransferase (writer), demethylase (eraser), and binding protein (reader). It plays a significant role in various processes of mRNA metabolism, including regulation of transcription, maturation, translation, degradation, and stability. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a malignant cardiopulmonary vascular disease characterized by abnormal proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. Despite the existence of several effective and targeted therapies, there is currently no cure for PAH and the prognosis remains poor. Recent studies have highlighted the crucial role of m6A modification in cardiovascular diseases. Investigating the role of RNA m6A methylation in PAH could provide valuable insights for drug development. This review aims to explore the mechanism and function of m6A in the pathogenesis of PAH and discuss the potential targeting of RNA m6A methylation modification as a treatment for PAH.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Projects of National Natural Science Foundation of China (82170058, 82241007, 82200065), Science Foundation for Outstanding Young Scholars of Henan Province (212300410027), Shanghai Pujiang Program (22PJ1410100), Young Talent Program of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (2022YQ070), Joint Fund of Science and Technology R&D Plan of Henan Province (222103810055), Special Project for Key R&D and Promotion of Henan Province (232102311233), and Project of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M711051).

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Zhe Wang, Yi-Xuan Zhang, Jun-Zhuo Shi.

  2. These authors jointly supervised this work: Xin-Mei Xie, Si-Jin Zhang, Xiao-Bin Pang.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Henan, China

    Zhe Wang, Jun-Zhuo Shi, Lu-Ling Zhao, Yang-Yang He, Xin-Mei Xie & Xiao-Bin Pang

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Henan, China

    Yi-Xuan Zhang

  3. Heart Center and Shanghai Institute of Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, National Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China

    Yi Yan

  4. Department of Pharmacy, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Henan, China

    Jie-Jian Kou

  5. Department of Cardiology, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

    Si-Jin Zhang

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Zhe Wang, Jun-Zhuo Shi, and Yi-Xuan Zhang drafted the manuscript and prepared the figures. Yi Yan participated in the writing of manuscripts and literature collection. Lu-Ling Zhao participated in the drawing of figures. Jie-Jian Kou participated in the literature collection and analysis. Yang-Yang He participated in revision of manuscript. Xin-Mei Xie, Si-Jin Zhang, and Xiao-Bin Pang proposed the concept and revised the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

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Wang, Z., Zhang, YX., Shi, JZ. et al. RNA m6A methylation and regulatory proteins in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Hypertens Res 47, 1273–1287 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-024-01607-9

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