Positive natural selection of N6-methyladenosine on the RNAs of processed pseudogenes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Canonical nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) is an important splicing-dependent process for mRNA surveillance in mammals. However, processed pseudogenes are not able to trigger NMD due to their lack of introns. It is largely unknown whether they have evolved other surveillance mechanisms.

Results

Here, we find that the RNAs of pseudogenes, especially processed pseudogenes, have dramatically higher m⁶A levels than their cognate protein-coding genes, associated with de novo m⁶A peaks and motifs in human cells. Furthermore, pseudogenes have rapidly accumulated m⁶A motifs during evolution. The m⁶A sites of pseudogenes are evolutionarily younger than neutral sites and their m⁶A levels are increasing, supporting the idea

SUBMITTER: Tan L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8201931 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature