RNA m<sup>6</sup>A methyltransferase METTL3 promotes colorectal cancer cell proliferation and invasion by regulating Snail expression

Wen,Jianfan; Zhang,Guowei; Meng,Yuwen; Zhang,Lei; Jiang,Min; Yu,Zhitao

doi:10.3892/ol.2021.12972

RNA m⁶A methyltransferase METTL3 promotes colorectal cancer cell proliferation and invasion by regulating Snail expression

Authors:
- Jianfan Wen
- Guowei Zhang
- Yuwen Meng
- Lei Zhang
- Min Jiang
- Zhitao Yu
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Affiliations: Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510317, P.R. China
Published online on: August 5, 2021 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2021.12972
Article Number: 711
Copyright: © Wen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Nitrogen 6‑methyladenosine (m⁶A) is the result of methylation of nitrogen‑6 on adenosine, and is the most abundant chemical modification of eukaryotic mRNA. Dysregulation of m⁶A methylation has been implicated in cancer development and progression through various mechanisms. This type of methylation is primarily regulated by methyltransferase‑like 3 (METTL3). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of METTL3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been extensively elucidated. The present study explored m⁶A modification and the underlying mechanism of m⁶A, which serve regulatory roles in the development of CRC. It was found that METTL3 is upregulated in CRC cell lines and tissues, and its expression positively correlated with poor overall survival (OS). Mechanistically, the present study demonstrated that METTL3 methylates Snail mRNA, thus stabilizing it to promote CRC malignancy. The present findings indicate that m6A modification is involved in CRC tumorigenesis, and highlight its potential as a therapeutic target against CRC.

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