Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Background METTL3 plays a significant role as a catalytic enzyme in mediating N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification, and its importance in tumour progression has been extensively studied in recent years. However, the precise involvement of METTL3 in the regulation of translation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Results Here we discovered by clinical investigation that METTL3 expression is correlated with NSCLC metastasis. Ablation of METTL3 in NSCLC cells inhibits invasion and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Subsequently, through translatomics data mining and experimental validation, we demonstrated that METTL3 enhances the translation of aromatase (CYP19A1), a key enzyme in oestrogen synthesis, thereby promoting oestrogen production and mediating the invasion and metastasis of NSCLC. Mechanistically, METTL3 interacts with translation initiation factors and binds to CYP19A1 mRNA, thus enhancing the translation efficiency of CYP19A1 in an m 6 A-dependent manner. Pharmacological inhibition of METTL3 enzymatic activity or translation initiation factor eIF4E abolishes CYP19A1 protein synthesis. Conclusions Our findings indicate the crucial role of METTL3-mediated translation regulation in NSCLC and reveal the significance of METTL3/eIF4E/CYP19A1 signaling as a promising therapeutic target for anti-metastatic strategies against NSCLC. Graphical abstract
Source: Cell & Bioscience
Language: English
Topic: RNA modifications and cancer
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,990
Awards: G3207322305, G488368056
OpenAlex ID: W4391011947