Single cell discovery of m6A RNA modifications in the hippocampus

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a prevalent and highly regulated RNA modification essential for RNA metabolism and normal brain function. It is particularly important in the hippocampus, where m6A is implicated in neurogenesis and learning. Although extensively studied, its presence in specific cell types remain poorly understood. We investigated m6A in the hippocampus at the single cell level, revealing a comprehensive landscape of m6A modifications within individual cells. Our data also identifies transcripts which have high m6A density and are associated with brain diseases. Our data suggests that m6A containing transcripts might be of particular importance for Camk2a neurons. Overall, this work provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying hippocampal physiology and lays the foundation for future studies investigating the dynamic nature of m6A RNA methylation in the healthy and diseased brain.