Mettl3 regulates lens development by promoting the differentiation processes of secondary fiber cells [m6a-seq]

Lens development requires tight regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation processes, the disruption of which leads to congenital cataract formation. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent internal mRNA modification and has been shown to play important roles in regulating the development, physiology and pathology of various organs and tissues. However, the function of m6A during lens development remains unknown. In this study, we used lens-specific Mettl3 conditional knockout mice as a model to study the function of Mettl3 during lens development. Our study revealed that Mettl3 plays essential role in lens development by promoting the differentiation processes of secondary fiber cells. Lenses of embryonic day 14.5 pups of wild type mice were used for m6A-Seq sequencing and analyses.