METTL15 introduces N4-methylcytidine into human mitochondrial 12S rRNA and is required for mitoribosome biogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Post-transcriptional RNA modifications, the epitranscriptome, play important roles in modulating the functions of RNA species. Modifications of rRNA are key for ribosome production and function. Identification and characterization of enzymes involved in epitranscriptome shaping is instrumental for the elucidation of the functional roles of specific RNA modifications. Ten modified sites have been thus far identified in the mammalian mitochondrial rRNA. Enzymes responsible for two of these modifications have not been characterized. Here, we identify METTL15, show that it is the main N4-methylcytidine (m4C) methyltransferase in human cells and demonstrate that it is responsible for the methylation of position C839 in mitochondrial 12S rRNA. We show that the lack of METTL15 results in a reduct

SUBMITTER: Van Haute L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6821322 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature