The m6A RNA Modification Modulates Gene Expression and Fibrosis-Related Pathways in Hypertrophic Scar.

Purpose: To systematically analyze the overall m6A modification pattern in hyperplastic scars (HS).

Methods

The m6A modification patterns in HS and normal skin (NS) tissues were described by m6A sequencing and RNA sequencing, and subsequently bioinformatics analysis was performed. The m6A-related RNA was immunoprecipitated and verified by real-time quantitative PCR.

Results

The appearance of 14,791 new m6A peaks in the HS sample was accompanied by the disappearance of 7,835 peaks. The unique m6A-related genes in HS were thus associated with fibrosis-related pathways. We identified the differentially expressed mRNA transcripts in HS samples with hyper-methylated or hypo-methylated m6A peaks.

Conclusion

This study is the first to map the m6A transcriptome of human HS, which may help clarify the possible mechanism of m6A-mediated gene expression regulation.