Comprehensive analysis of RNA m6A methylation in pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy

Abstract

Abstract Aim To analyze and compare the mRNA N 6 -methyladenosine modifications in transverse aortic constriction induced mice hearts and normal mice hearts. Materials and methods Colorimetric quantification was used to probe the changes in m 6 A modifications in the total RNA. The expression of m 6 A-related enzymes was analyzed via qRT-PCR and western blotting. RNA-seq and MeRIP-seq were performed to identify genes with differences in m 6 A modifications or expression in the transcriptome profile. Results Compared with the control group, the TAC group exhibited higher m 6 A methylation levels. FTO and WTAP were downregulated after TAC, while METTL3 was significantly downregulated at the protein level. MeRIP-seq revealed that 1179 m 6 A peaks were upmethylated and 733 m 6 A peaks were downmethylated, and biological analysis of these genes exhibited a strong relationship with heart function. Conclusion Our findings provide novel information regarding m 6 A modification and gene expression changes in cardiac hypertrophy, which may be fundamental for further research.