The role of METTL3 in transposable elements regulation and 2C-like program induction in mouse embryonic stem cell.

ABSTRACT: METTL3 is a crucial mRNA methyltransferase in mammals, essential for the regulation of gene expression and various biological processes. Here, we demonstrate that Mettl3 knockout (KO) in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) leads to widespread upregulation of transposable elements (TEs) and 2-cell (2C)-like genes in a m⁶A enzyme activity-dependent manner, independent of culture conditions. Furthermore, embryo chimera experiments using a transient METTL3 degradation system (dTAG) revealed that METTL3-deficient mESCs can contribute to trophectoderm lineages at the blastocyst stage, indicative of expanded developmental potential. These findings highlight the role of METTL3-mediated m⁶A modifications in regulating the transcriptional and developmental plasticity of mESCs an

SUBMITTER: Chen X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12635009 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature