ALKBH5-induced demethylation of mono- and dimethylated adenosine

Abstract

RNA contains methylated A-base derivatives. A methylation to m⁶A and then demethylation regulate homeostasis in mRNA. It is assumed that m⁶A is mainly demethylated by the α-ketoglutarate dependent oxidase ALKBH5. Here we show that ALKBH5 also demethylates the dimethylated adenosine m⁶₂A, which is a non-canonical base present in ribosomal RNA.