MOV10 facilitates messenger RNA decay in an N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-dependent manner to maintain the mouse embryonic stem cells state

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most predominant internal mRNA modification in eukaryotes, recognised by its reader proteins (so-called m6A-readers) for regulating subsequent mRNA fates – splicing, export, localization, decay, stability and translation – to control several biological processes. Although a few m6A-readers have been identified, yet the list is incomplete. Here, we identify a new m6A-reader protein, MOV10, in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). MOV10 recognises m6A-containing mRNAs with a conserved GGm6ACU motif. Mechanistic studies uncover that MOV10 bound m6A-containing mRNAs facilitate mRNA decay within the cytoplasmic processing bodies (P-bodies) in an m6A-dependent manner. Moreover, MOV10 decays the Gsk-3ß mRNA through m6A that stabilises the ß-CATENIN expression of a Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway to regulate downstream target expression of NANOG for maintaining the mESC state. Thus, our findings reveal how a newly identified m6A-reader, MOV10 mediates mRNA decay via m6A that impact ESC biology. Overall design: RNAseq, m6A-seq, RIPseq, Riboseq between Wild-type and KO mouse ESCs