# Mechanistic Insights into m6A-Mediated Regulation of Brain Development

> **NIH NIH R01** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $395,381

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
N6-methyladenosine, or m6A, is a highly abundant base modification which was recently shown to be present in
thousands of cellular mRNAs. Many of the functional roles of this mark are carried out by m6A-binding proteins,
or “readers”, which bind m6A residues and contribute to various aspects of mRNA regulation, including mRNA
export, stability, and translation. Depletion of the methyltransferase enzymes that catalyze m6A formation has
been shown to disrupt stem cell proliferation and differentiation and to lead to developmental defects. In the
brain, where m6A is particularly abundant, m6A depletion has been shown to disrupt neurogenesis and cause
severe neurodevelopmental abnormalities. However, the mechanisms through which m6A regulates gene
expression to control neurodevelopmental processes are poorly understood. In addition, the proteins mediating
m6A function in the developing brain have not been explored. Here, we will investigate the function of a previously
unknown m6A binding protein during brain development. First, we will uncover the key features that determine
m6A binding specificity. Second, we will utilize m6A-depleted neuronal cell lines coupled with transcriptome-wide
RNA binding studies to uncover the cellular mRNAs that are targeted by this reader through m6A. Third, we will
use a combination of global gene expression profiling and gene targeting approaches to determine how
m6A:reader interactions contribute to gene expression changes and neurodevelopment. Collectively, these
studies will characterize a novel m6A reader in the brain and will provide important mechanistic insight into how
m6A regulates brain development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9820735
- **Project number:** 5R01MH118366-02
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Kathryn D Meyer
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $395,381
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-11-10 → 2023-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9820735

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9820735, Mechanistic Insights into m6A-Mediated Regulation of Brain Development (5R01MH118366-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9820735. Licensed CC0.

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