m6A epigenetic modification of viral RNA is critical for the transmission cycle of mosquito-borne flaviviruses - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #m6A methylation
- #viral transmission
- #mosquito-borne flaviviruses
- m6A epigenetic modification of viral RNA is crucial for the transmission cycle of mosquito-borne flaviviruses (MBFs).
- Depleting the m6A modification complex affects MBF propagation in vertebrates but not in mosquitoes.
- Stem loop I (SLI) deletion in the MBF 3' UTR reduces m6A expression and viral propagation in vertebrates.
- m6A modification in stress granules is driven by dynamic SLI-cellular G3BP1 interaction.
- m6A-methylated viral genome is ejected by G3BP1 for viral assembly.
- Chemical inhibition of m6A modification via METTL3 blocks MBF proliferation in mice and stops mouse-mosquito transmission.
- m6A modification is essential for efficient arthropod-to-vertebrate transmission of MBF, suggesting its potential as an antiviral target.