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. Overall design: Hypertrophic scar (SC, n=3) and normal skin (SK, n=3) samples