From A to m6A: the emerging viral epitranscriptome

Abstract

There are over 100 different chemical RNA modifications, collectively known as the epitranscriptome. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most commonly found internal RNA modification in cellular mRNAs where it plays important roles in the regulation of the mRNA structure, stability, translation and nuclear export. This modification is also found in viral RNA genomes and in viral mRNAs derived from both RNA and DNA viruses. A growing body of evidence indicates that m6A modifications play important roles in regulating viral replication by interacting with the cellular m6A machinery. In this review, we will exhaustively detail the current knowledge on m6A modification, with an emphasis on its function in virus biology.