Background:
The METTL3-METTL14 heterodimer forms a N6-methyltransferase complex that methylates adenosine residues at the N6 position of some mRNAs and regulates the circadian clock, differentiation of embryonic stem cells and cortical neurogenesis . In the heterodimer formed with METTL3, METTL14 constitutes the RNA-binding scaffold that recognizes the substrate rather than the catalytic core . N6-methyladenosine (m6A), which takes place at the 5'-[AG]GAC-3' consensus sites of some mRNAs, plays a role in mRNA stability and processing M6A acts as a key regulator of mRNA stability by promoting mRNA destabilization and degradation (By similarity). In embryonic stem cells (ESCs), m6A methylation of mRNAs encoding key naive pluripotency-promoting transcripts results in transcript destabilization (By similarity). M6A regulates spermatogonial differentiation and meiosis and is essential for male fertility and spermatogenesis (By similarity).