Methyltransferase-like 14 silencing relieves the development of atherosclerosis via m6A modification of p65 mRNA

M6A modification in cardiovascular disease: With a focus on programmed cell death

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is one of the most predominant internal RNA modifications in eukaryotes and has become a hot spot in the field of epigenetics in recent years. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of death globally. Emerging evidence demonstrates that RNA modifications, such as the m6A modification, are associated with the development and progression of many diseases, including CVDs. An increasing body of studies has indicated that programmed cell death (PCD) plays a vital role in CVDs. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying m6A modification and PCD in CVDs remain poorly understood. Herein, elaborating on the highly complex connections between the m6A mechanisms and different PCD signaling pathways and clarifying the exact molecular mechanism of m6A modification mediating PCD have significant meaning in developing new strategies for the prevention and therapy of CVDs. There is great potential for clinical application.

N6-Methyladenosine in Vascular Aging and Related Diseases: Clinical Perspectives

Aging leads to progressive deterioration of the structure and function of arteries, which eventually contributes to the development of vascular aging-related diseases. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent modification in eukaryotic RNAs. This reversible m6A RNA modification is dynamically regulated by writers, erasers, and readers, playing a critical role in various physiological and pathological conditions by affecting almost all stages of the RNA life cycle. Recent studies have highlighted the involvement of m6A in vascular aging and related diseases, shedding light on its potential clinical significance. In this paper, we comprehensively discuss the current understanding of m6A in vascular aging and its clinical implications. We discuss the molecular insights into m6A and its association with clinical realities, emphasizing its significance in unraveling the mechanisms underlying vascular aging. Furthermore, we explore the possibility of m6A and its regulators as clinical indicators for early diagnosis and prognosis prediction and investigate the therapeutic potential of m6A-associated anti-aging approaches. We also examine the challenges and future directions in this field and highlight the necessity of integrating m6A knowledge into patient-centered care. Finally, we emphasize the need for multidisciplinary collaboration to advance the field of m6A research and its clinical application.

Unravelling the impact of RNA methylation genetic and epigenetic machinery in the treatment of cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy (CM) represents a heterogeneous group of diseases primarily affecting cardiac structure and function, with genetic and epigenetic dysregulation playing a pivotal role in its pathogenesis. Emerging evidence from the burgeoning field of epitranscriptomics has brought to light the significant impact of various RNA modifications, notably N6-methyladenosine (m6A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), N7-methylguanosine (m7G), N1-methyladenosine (m1A), 2'-O-methylation (Nm), and 6,2'-O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am), on cardiomyocyte function and the broader processes of cardiac and vascular remodelling. These modifications have been shown to influence key pathological mechanisms including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, inflammation, immune response, and myocardial fibrosis. Importantly, aberrations in the RNA methylation machinery have been observed in human CM cases and animal models, highlighting the critical role of RNA methylating enzymes and their potential as therapeutic targets or biomarkers for CM. This review underscores the necessity for a deeper understanding of RNA methylation processes in the context of CM, to illuminate novel therapeutic avenues and diagnostic tools, thereby addressing a significant gap in the current management strategies for this complex disease.

m6A epitranscriptomic modification of inflammation in cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease is currently the number one cause of death endangering human health. There is currently a large body of research showing that the development of cardiovascular disease and its complications is often accompanied by inflammatory processes. In recent years, epitranscriptional modifications have been shown to be involved in regulating the pathophysiological development of inflammation in cardiovascular diseases, with 6-methyladenine being one of the most common RNA transcriptional modifications. In this review, we link different cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion, with inflammation and describe the regulatory processes involved in RNA methylation. Advances in RNA methylation research have revealed the close relationship between the regulation of transcriptome modifications and inflammation in cardiovascular diseases and brought potential therapeutic targets for disease diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, we also discussed different cell aspects. In addition, in the article we also describe the different application aspects and clinical pathways of RNA methylation therapy. In summary, this article reviews the mechanism, regulation and disease treatment effects of m6A modification on inflammation and inflammatory cells in cardiovascular diseases in recent years. We will discuss issues facing the field and new opportunities that may be the focus of future research.

Regulatory roles of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation in RNA processing and non-communicable diseases

Post-transcriptional RNA modification is an emerging epigenetic control mechanism in cells that is important in many different cellular and organismal processes. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most prevalent, prolific, and ubiquitous internal transcriptional alterations in eukaryotic mRNAs, making it an important topic in the field of Epigenetics. m6A methylation acts as a dynamical regulatory process that regulates the activity of genes and participates in multiple physiological processes, by supporting multiple aspects of essential mRNA metabolic processes, including pre-mRNA splicing, nuclear export, translation, miRNA synthesis, and stability. Extensive research has linked aberrations in m6A modification and m6A-associated proteins to a wide range of human diseases. However, the impact of m6A on mRNA metabolism and its pathological connection between m6A and other non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, liver diseases, and cancer remains in fragmentation. Here, we review the existing understanding of the overall role of mechanisms by which m6A exerts its activities and address new discoveries that highlight m6A's diverse involvement in gene expression regulation. We discuss m6A deposition on mRNA and its consequences on degradation, translation, and transcription, as well as m6A methylation of non-coding chromosomal-associated RNA species. This study could give new information about the molecular process, early detection, tailored treatment, and predictive evaluation of human non-communicable diseases like cancer. We also explore more about new data that suggests targeting m6A regulators in diseases may have therapeutic advantages.

RNA modifications in cellular metabolism: implications for metabolism-targeted therapy and immunotherapy

Cellular metabolism is an intricate network satisfying bioenergetic and biosynthesis requirements of cells. Relevant studies have been constantly making inroads in our understanding of pathophysiology, and inspiring development of therapeutics. As a crucial component of epigenetics at post-transcription level, RNA modification significantly determines RNA fates, further affecting various biological processes and cellular phenotypes. To be noted, immunometabolism defines the metabolic alterations occur on immune cells in different stages and immunological contexts. In this review, we characterize the distribution features, modifying mechanisms and biological functions of 8 RNA modifications, including N6-methyladenosine (m6A), N6,2'-O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am), N1-methyladenosine (m1A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), N4-acetylcytosine (ac4C), N7-methylguanosine (m7G), Pseudouridine (Ψ), adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing, which are relatively the most studied types. Then regulatory roles of these RNA modification on metabolism in diverse health and disease contexts are comprehensively described, categorized as glucose, lipid, amino acid, and mitochondrial metabolism. And we highlight the regulation of RNA modifications on immunometabolism, further influencing immune responses. Above all, we provide a thorough discussion about clinical implications of RNA modification in metabolism-targeted therapy and immunotherapy, progression of RNA modification-targeted agents, and its potential in RNA-targeted therapeutics. Eventually, we give legitimate perspectives for future researches in this field from methodological requirements, mechanistic insights, to therapeutic applications.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 inhibitor downregulates microRNA-130a-3p expression in hepatocytes to alleviates atherosclerosis progression

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors have been shown to regulate lipid metabolism and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. This study explores the effect and potential mechanism of PCSK9 inhibitors on lipid metabolism and coronary atherosclerosis. HepG2 cells were incubated with PCSK9 inhibitor. ApoE-/- mice were fed with a high fat to construct an atherosclerosis model, and then treated with PCSK9 inhibitor (8 mg/kg for 8 w). PCSK9 inhibitor downregulated microRNA (miRNA)-130a-3p expression in a dose-dependent manner. And, miR-130a-3p could bind directly to the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) region of LDLR to down-regulate LDLR expression in HepG2 cells, as confirmed by the luciferase reporter gene assay. In addition, miR-130a-3p overexpression significantly attenuated the promoting effect of PCSK9 inhibitor on LDLR and DiI-LDL uptake in HepG2 cells. More importantly, in vivo experiments confirmed that PCSK9 inhibitor could significantly inhibit miR-130a-3p levels and promote LDLR expression in liver tissues, thus regulating serum lipid profile and alleviating the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. PCSK9 inhibitor could moderately improve coronary atherosclerosis by regulating miR-130a-3p/LDLR axis, providing an exploitable strategy for the treatment of coronary atherosclerosis.

Update on N6-methyladenosine methylation in obesity-related diseases

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disease that is closely related to type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis. The prevalence of obesity is increasing rapidly every year and is recognized as a global public health problem. In recent years, the role of epigenetics in the development of obesity and related diseases has been recognized and is currently a research hotspot. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is the most abundant epigenetic modification in the eukaryotic RNA, including mRNA and noncoding RNA. Several studies have shown that the m6A modifications in the target mRNA and the corresponding m6A regulators play a significant role in lipid metabolism and are strongly associated with the pathogenesis of obesity-related diseases. In this review, the latest research findings regarding the role of m6A methylation in obesity and related metabolic diseases are summarized. The authors' aim is to highlight evidence that suggests the clinical utility of m6A modifications and the m6A regulators as novel early prediction biomarkers and precision therapeutics for obesity and obesity-related diseases.

Levels and clinical significance of the m6A methyltransferase METTL14 in patients with coronary heart disease

Objective

To investigate the association of methyltransferase-like protein 14 (METTL14) expression with coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods

Three hundred and sixteen patients who attended Henan Provincial People's Hospital between June 2019 and February 2021 with principal symptoms of pain or tightness in the chest and who underwent coronary angiography for definitive diagnosis were enrolled. The uric acid, TG, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, apolipoprotein A1, free fatty acid, lipoprotein a, homocysteine, CRP, and SAA levels were examined. The levels of METTL14, TNF-α, MCP-1, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and IL-6 were evaluated by ELISA.

Results

Patients with CHD had significantly higher m6A methyltransferase activity. In addition, the incidence of diabetes and hypertension, as well as the concentrations of TC, CRP, and SAA were higher in CHD patients. Patients with coronary lesion branches also had significantly increased TG, LDL-C, CRP, and SAA levels. TNF-α, MCP-1, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and IL-6 expression was also markedly increased in the CHD group (P < 0.001) as was the expression of METTL14 (P < 0.001). The METTL14 expression levels also differed significantly in relation to the number of branches with lesions (P < 0.01) and were correlated with SAA, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, IL-6, and the Gensini score. ROC curve analyses of METTL14 in CHD indicated an AUC of 0.881 (0.679, 0.894) with a cut-off value of 342.37, a sensitivity of 77%, and a specificity of 84%. MCP-1, VCAM-1, IL-6, SAA, and METTL14 were found to independently predict CHD risk.

Conclusions

METTL14 levels were found to be positively associated with inflammatory markers and to be an independent predictor of CHD risk.

Epitranscriptional Regulation: From the Perspectives of Cardiovascular Bioengineering

The central dogma of gene expression involves DNA transcription to RNA and RNA translation into protein. As key intermediaries and modifiers, RNAs undergo various forms of modifications such as methylation, pseudouridylation, deamination, and hydroxylation. These modifications, termed epitranscriptional regulations, lead to functional changes in RNAs. Recent studies have demonstrated crucial roles for RNA modifications in gene translation, DNA damage response, and cell fate regulation. Epitranscriptional modifications play an essential role in development, mechanosensing, atherogenesis, and regeneration in the cardiovascular (CV) system, and their elucidation is critically important to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying CV physiology and pathophysiology. This review aims at providing biomedical engineers with an overview of the epitranscriptome landscape, related key concepts, recent findings in epitranscriptional regulations, and tools for epitranscriptome analysis. The potential applications of this important field in biomedical engineering research are discussed.

m6A reader IGF2BP1 accelerates apoptosis of high glucose-induced vascular endothelial cells in a m6A-HMGB1 dependent manner

Emerging evidence indicates that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) plays a critical role in vascular biological characteristic. In diabetes mellitus pathophysiology, high glucose (HG)-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction is associated with diabetes vascular complications. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of high glucose (HG)-related m6A regulation on vascular endothelial cells is still unclear. Results indicated that m6A reader insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) was up-regulated in HG-treated human umbilical vascular endothelium cells (HUVECs) comparing to normal group. Functionally, results indicated that IGF2BP1 knockdown recovered the proliferation of HUVECs inhibited by HG-administration. Besides, IGF2BP1 knockdown reduced the apoptosis induced by HG-administration. Mechanistically, IGF2BP1 interacted with HMGB1 mRNA and stabilized its expression of m6A-modified RNA. Therefore, these findings provided compelling evidence demonstrating that m6A reader IGF2BP1 contributes to the proliferation and apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells in hyperglycaemia, serving as a target for development of diabetic angiopathy therapeutics.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) writer METTL3 accelerates the apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells in high glucose

Recent studies have shown that N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) methylation, one of the most prevalent epigenetic modifications, is involved in diabetes mellitus. However, whether m⁶A regulates diabetic vascular endothelium injury is still elusive. Present research aimed to investigate the regulation and mechanism of m⁶A on vascular endothelium injury. Upregulation of METTL3 was observed in the high glucose (HG)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), following with the upregulation of m⁶A methylation level. Functionally, METTL3 silencing repressed the apoptosis and recovered the proliferation of HUVECs disposed by HG. Moreover, HG exposure upregulated the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling3 (SOCS3). Mechanistically, METTL3 targeted the m⁶A site on SOCS3 mRNA, which positively regulated the mRNA stability of SOCS3. In conclusion, METTL3 silencing attenuated the HG-induced vascular endothelium cells injury via promoting SOCS3 stability. In conclusion, this research expands the understanding of m⁶A on vasculopathy in diabetes mellitus and provides a potential strategy for the protection of vascular endothelial injury.

m6A-related bioinformatics analysis and functional characterization reveals that METTL3-mediated NPC1L1 mRNA hypermethylation facilitates progression of atherosclerosis via inactivation of the MAPK pathway

OBJECTIVE

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) plays important roles in many major diseases, including atherosclerosis (AS). In the present study, we aimed to explore the transcriptomic m6A landscape of endothelial function-associated genes and identify potential regulators in AS progression.

METHODS

The GEO data (GSE142386) from MeRIP-seq in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with METTL3 knocked down or not were analyzed. RNA-seq was performed to identify differences in gene expression. Gene ontology (GO) functional and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were conducted to evaluate the potential functions of the differentially expressed genes. MeRIP-qPCR was used to measure the m6A and mRNA levels of the top 8 downregulated genes, and NPC1L1 was selected as the candidate gene. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) was used to stimulate HUVECs, and METTL3 or NPC1L1 was silenced in ox-LDL-treated cells. And Transwell, ELISA, and cell apoptosis assays were performed to assess cell functional injury. ApoE-/- mice were fed with high-fat diet for 8 weeks to establish an AS model, and adenovirus-mediated NPC1L1 shRNA or NC shRNA was injected into the mice through the tail vein. Mouse aortic tissue damage and plaque deposition were evaluated by H&E, Oil Red O, and TUNEL staining.

RESULTS

One hundred and ninety-four hypermethylated m6A peaks and 222 hypomethylated peaks were detected in response to knockdown of METTL3. Genes with altered m6A peaks were significantly involved in the histone modification, enzyme activity, and formation of multiple complexes and were predominantly enriched in the MAPK pathway. NPC1L1 was a most significantly downregulated transcript in response to knockdown of METTL3. Moreover, knockdown of NPC1L1 or de-m6A (METTL3 knockdown)-mediated downregulation of NPC1L1 could improve ox-LDL-induced dysfunction of HUVECs in vitro and high-fat diet-induced atherosclerotic plaque in vivo, which was associated with the inactivation of the MAPK pathway.

CONCLUSION

METTL3-mediated NPC1L1 mRNA hypermethylation facilitates AS progression by regulating the MAPK pathway, and NPC1L1 may be a novel target for the treatment of AS.

The Epigenetic Regulation of RNA N6-Methyladenosine Methylation in Glycolipid Metabolism

The highly conserved and dynamically reversible N6-methyladenine (m6A) modification has emerged as a critical gene expression regulator by affecting RNA splicing, translation efficiency, and stability at the post-transcriptional level, which has been established to be involved in various physiological and pathological processes, including glycolipid metabolism and the development of glycolipid metabolic disease (GLMD). Hence, accumulating studies have focused on the effects and regulatory mechanisms of m6A modification on glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and GLMD. This review summarizes the underlying mechanism of how m6A modification regulates glucose and lipid metabolism-related enzymes, transcription factors, and signaling pathways and the advances of m6A regulatory mechanisms in GLMD in order to deepen the understanding of the association of m6A modification with glycolipid metabolism and GLMD.

mPRα and PR co-operate in progesterone inhibition of endothelial cell focal adhesion

Progesterone causes vascular smooth muscle cell relaxation through membrane progesterone receptors (mPRs), which are members of the progestin and adipoQ receptor (PAQR) family, and nuclear PRs (nPRs). However, beneficial vascular effects of progesterone in preventing pre-atherosclerosis and the involvement of mPRs and nPRs remain unclear. The results show short- to long-term treatments with 100 nM progesterone (P4) and specific agonists for mPRs, OD 02-0, and nPRs, R5020, inhibited pre-atherosclerotic events in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), decreasing focal adhesion (FA) by monocytes, FA signaling, HUVEC migration and invasion, and vinculin expression. Progesterone and OD 02-0, but not R5020, inhibited phosphorylation of Src and focal adhesion kinase, critical kinases of FA signaling, within 20 min and migration and invasion of HUVECs and monocyte adhesion after 3 h. These inhibitory P4 and 02-0 effects were attenuated with MAP kinase and Pi3k inhibitors, indicating involvement of these kinases in this mPR-mediated action. However, after 16 h, OD 02-0 was no longer effective in inhibiting FA signaling, while both progesterone and R5020 decreased the activity of the two kinases. Knockdown of receptor expression with siRNA confirmed that mPRα mediates short-term and nPR long-term inhibitory effects of progesterone on FA signaling. Thus, progesterone inhibition of FA signaling and pre-atherosclerosis is coordinated through mPRα and nPRs.

The Mechanism and Role of N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) Modification in Atherosclerosis and Atherosclerotic Diseases

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is a newly discovered regulatory mechanism in eukaryotes. As one of the most common epigenetic mechanisms, m6A's role in the development of atherosclerosis (AS) and atherosclerotic diseases (AD) has also received increasing attention. Herein, we elucidate the effect of m6A on major risk factors for AS, including lipid metabolism disorders, hypertension, and hyperglycemia. We also describe how m6A methylation contributes to endothelial cell injury, macrophage response, inflammation, and smooth muscle cell response in AS and AD. Subsequently, we illustrate the m6A-mediated aberrant biological role in the pathogenesis of AS and AD, and analyze the levels of m6A methylation in peripheral blood or local tissues of AS and AD, which helps to further discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of m6A regulation for AS and AD. In summary, studies on m6A methylation provide new insights into the pathophysiologic mechanisms of AS and AD, and m6A methylation could be a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for AS and AD.