m6A: Widespread regulatory control in virus replication

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a highly pervasive and dynamic modification found on eukaryotic RNA. Despite the failure to comprehend the true regulatory potential of this epitranscriptomic mark for decades, our knowledge of m6A has rapidly expanded in recent years. The modification has now been functionally linked to all stages of mRNA metabolism and demonstrated to regulate a variety of biological processes. Furthermore, m6A has been identified on transcripts encoded by a wide range of viruses. Studies to investigate m6A function in viral-host interactions have highlighted distinct roles indicating widespread regulatory control over viral life cycles. As a result, unveiling the true influence of m6A modification could revolutionise our comprehension of the regulatory mechanisms controlling viral replication. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: mRNA modifications in gene expression control edited by Dr. Soller Matthias and Dr. Fray Rupert.