biostudies-literatureViegas IJNINDS NIH HHSNCI NIH HHSEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council362-370https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9150445biostudies-literatureUnknown604(7905)RNA modifications are important regulators of gene expression¹. In Trypanosoma brucei, transcription is polycistronic and thus most regulation happens post-transcriptionally². N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) has been detected in this parasite, but its function remains unknown³. Here we found that m⁶A is enriched in 342 transcripts using RNA immunoprecipitation, with an enrichment in transcripts encoding variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs). Approximately 50% of the m⁶A is located in the poly(A) tail of the actively expressed VSG transcripts. m⁶A residues are removed from the VSG poly(A) tail before deadenylation and mRNA degradation. Computational analysis revealed an association between m⁶A in the NatureN⁶-methyladenosine in poly(A) tails stabilize VSG transcripts.PMC9150445T32 CA062948R35 NS111631EP/K039660/1EP/M028127/1De Niz MSerra LSilva Pereira SViegas IJTemporao ABergstrom EFigueiredo LMAresta-Branco FJaffrey SRde Macedo JPMirza AHRodrigues JAfalseN⁶-methyladenosine in poly(A) tails stabilize VSG transcripts.RNA modifications are important regulators of gene expression¹. In Trypanosoma brucei, transcription is polycistronic and thus most regulation happens post-transcriptionally². N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) has been detected in this parasite, but its function remains unknown³. Here we found that m⁶A is enriched in 342 transcripts using RNA immunoprecipitation, with an enrichment in transcripts encoding variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs). Approximately 50% of the m⁶A is located in the poly(A) tail of the actively expressed VSG transcripts. m⁶A residues are removed from the VSG poly(A) tail before deadenylation and mRNA degradation. Computational analysis revealed an association between m⁶A in the 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Apr2025-04-04T12:05:11.193Z2025-04-04T12:05:11.193ZS-EPMC91504453535501910.1038/s41586-022-04544-0