MHI Seminar Series presents MHI Keynote Speaker: Federica Accornero, PhD, Associate Professor, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI

Summary of Seminar:  Gene expression fluctuations are critical for muscle homeostasis and the response to environmental insults. Yet, little is known about post-transcriptional mechanisms regulating such fluctuations while impacting muscle proteome. Genome-wide analysis of mRNA methyladenosine (m6A) revealed the dynamics of this modification during stress (PMIDs: 35013323, 33188779). We demonstrated that METTL3 (the m6A-forming enzyme; PMIDs: 30586742, 35013323) and downstream RNA binding proteins regulating m6A-modified transcripts (PMIDs: 37791304, 38467649, 38768805) control muscle size. We also found that this pathway is particularly important for metabolic regulation of the heart (PMID: 38620081) and beyond. These studies identify a post-transcriptional mechanism, which is essential for the maintenance of cardiac homeostasis.