Epitranscriptomic mechanisms of N6-methyladenosine methylation regulating mammalian hypertension development by determined spontaneously hypertensive rats pericytes

Abstract

Aim: Pericytes maintain homeostatic functions in the blood-brain barrier. N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is critical for various biological processes, but the role of mRNA m⁶A methylation in hypertension has not been fully elucidated. Methods: The m⁶A methylation levels of Wistar Kyoto rat pericytes and spontaneously hypertensive rat pericytes were detected via m⁶A high-throughput sequencing. Results: The m⁶A methylations were more enriched in the coding sequence region, 3'UTR and 5'UTR of mRNAs, with the m⁶A motifs being relatively conserved across the different conditions investigated. The average m⁶A abundance of spontaneously hypertensive rat pericytes exhibited global reductions in the pericytes. Conclusion: This study revealed the m⁶A landscapes and identified an epitranscriptomic mechanism during the development of mammalian hypertension.

Keywords: N6-methyladenosine; pericytes; spontaneously hypertensive rats.