METTL14 and WTAP play a crucial role in the regulation of bovine preadipocyte differentiation

Abstract

m6A methylation is the most common mRNA modification in mammals and plays a significant role in regulating various biological functions. Some studies have demonstrated that the methyltransferase METTL3 can promote adipogenesis. However, the regulatory mechanisms of METTL14 and WTAP, both methyltransferases, in adipogenesis remain unclear. This study investigated their effects on bovine preadipocyte differentiation using siRNA-mediated knockdown combined with transcriptomic analysis. Silencing METTL14 and WTAP significantly impaired lipid droplet formation and revealed distinct regulatory pathways: METTL14 knockdown affected genes like JAK2 and STAT3, while WTAP suppression down-regulated PPARγ/FABP4 signalling pathway components. These findings demonstrate that WTAP specifically modulates bovine adipocyte differentiation through the PPARγ/FABP4 pathway.

Keywords

• Bovine
• Preadipocytes
• METTL14
• WTAP
• Cell differentiation