RNA m6A Modification in Liver Biology and Its Implication in Hepatic Diseases and Carcinogenesis.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent internal modification in eukaryotic RNAs. This modification is regulated by three different factors (writers, erasers and readers) and influences multiple aspects of RNA metabolism, including RNA splicing, nuclear export, translation, stability and decay. The m6A-mediated modification plays important roles in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and mediates a variety of cellular and biological processes. Accordingly, deregulation in m6A modification is closely related to the occurrence and development of human diseases. The liver is the largest digestive and metabolic organ in human and recent studies have shown that m6A modification is importantly implicated in liver cellular and physiological processes and in the pathogenesis of hepatic diseases and cancers. In this review, we summarize the functions of m6A in RNA metabolism and its roles in liver cell biology and discuss its implication in hepatic diseases and carcinogenesis.