Budding yeast as an ideal model for elucidating the role of N⁶‐methyladenosine in regulating gene expression

Abstract

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) is a highly abundant and evolutionarily conserved messenger RNA (mRNA) modification. This modification is installed on RRACH motifs on mRNAs by a hetero‐multimeric holoenzyme known as m6A methyltransferase complex (MTC). The m6A mark is then recognised by a group of conserved proteins known as the YTH domain family proteins which guide the mRNA for subsequent downstream processes that determine its fate. In yeast, m6A is installed on thousands of mRNAs during early meiosis by a conserved MTC and the m6A‐modified mRNAs are read by the YTH domain‐containing protein Mrb1/Pho92. In this review, we aim to delve into the recent advances in our understanding of the regulation and roles of m6A in yeast meiosis. We will discuss the potential functions of m6A in mRNA translation and decay, unravelling their significance in regulating gene expression. We propose that yeast serves as an exceptional model organism for the study of fundamental molecular mechanisms related to the function and regulation of m6A‐modified mRNAs. The insights gained from yeast research not only expand our knowledge of mRNA modifications and their molecular roles but also offer valuable insights into the broader landscape of eukaryotic posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression.

Gene transcription in yeasts: From molecules to integrated processes

“…First, the more we use advanced technologies to dig into the transcription process, the more we uncover an unsuspected diversity in the features of transcriptomes, as highlighted by native elongating transcript sequencing (Xi et al, 2024), long-read sequencing (Koster et al, 2024), single-cell transcriptomics (Brettner et al, 2024;Nadal-Ribelles et al, 2024) or live imaging (Kindongo et al, 2024). Second, it is now obvious that transcription must be envisioned in a broader picture since it is tightly intertwined with other nuclear processes, that is, downstream events in RNA metabolism such as RNA processing (Albihlal et al, 2024;Struhl, 2023), localization and turnover, but also several DNAdependent transactions, including chromatin organization (Georis et al, 2023;Yague-Sanz, 2024), replication and repair (Piguet & Houseley, 2024). Finally, yeasts appear deliberately plural in the title of this Special Issue, not only in reference to the wide range of yeast models beyond S. cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, but also in view of their natural diversity, in-between isolates, or even within cell populations or colonies (Pangestu et al, 2023).…”