Research Progress of RNA Methylation Modification in Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Accumulating evidence indicates that RNA methylation, as the most common modification of mRNA, is of great significance in tumor progression and metastasis. Colorectal cancer is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system that seriously affects the health of middle-aged and elderly people. Although there have been many studies on the biological mechanism of the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer, there are still major deficiencies in the diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer. With the deep study of RNA methylation, it was found that RNA modification is highly related to colorectal cancer tumorigenesis, development and prognosis. Here, we will highlight various RNA chemical modifications including N6-methyladenosine, 5-methylcytosine, N1-methyladenosine, 7-methylguanine, pseudouridine and their modification enzymes followed by summarizing their functions in colorectal cancer.

Bringing to Light the Importance of the miRNA Methylome in Colorectal Cancer Prognosis Through Electrochemical Bioplatforms

“…It is important to highlight that the results in tissues agreed with those previously reported by other authors who found increased m6A methylation in miRNA let-7a in pancreatic and CRC tissues compared to paired normal tissue samples using a nontargeted mass spectrometry sequencing technique . These results also agree with reports claiming increased m6A levels in total RNA extracted from CRC cells and tissues through the upregulation of the methyltransferase METTL3, which also promotes metastasis of CRC, , and with the analysis of m6A-related RNAs other than miRNAs as prognostic factors in CRC . Furthermore, the results obtained in the determination of total miRNA let-7a in cultured cancer cells and tissues (Figure a,d) also agree with the downregulation of this miRNA in CRC tissues ,, and the accumulating evidence indicating that let-7 miRNAs function as a tumor suppressor in CRC .…”

“…Furthermore, N 6 -methyladenosine (m6A) in RNA, considered the most abundant RNA methylation (∼50% of total methylated ribonucleotides), is a dynamic and reversible modification mediated by writer (m6A-methyltransferases), removed by eraser (demethylases), and recognized by reader (m6A-binding) proteins. − The m6A RNA methylation is widely found in mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and recent evidence suggests its role in variety of cancers, including CRC development, carcinogenesis, progression, and therapeutics. ,− …”

Plasma metabolomic profiles associated with mortality and longevity in a prospective analysis of 13,512 individuals

“…Elevated blood levels of N2,N2-dimethylguanosine and pseudouridine among patients with acute leukemia and breast cancer were first reported more than four decades ago 14 . This initial finding has been followed by a number of studies linking these two nucleosides and cancer, including colorectal cancer 15 , ovarian cancer 16 , and prostate cancer 17 . Recent studies extended these findings by showing that N2,N2-dimethylguanosine was also associated with high BMI 18 .…”

Investigating gene signatures associated with immunity in colon adenocarcinoma to predict the immunotherapy effectiveness using NFM and WGCNA algorithms

“…Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), one of the most common malignancies, is among the top five in terms of morbidity and death from tumor-related illnesses [1][2][3][4]. Predictions indicate that in 2022, colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses will number 600,000 in China and 160,000 in the US, with 300,000 and 55,000 cases of CRC-related deaths in each country, respectively [5].…”