Dynamics of N6-methyladenosine modification during aging and their potential roles in the degeneration of intervertebral disc

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, as one of the epigenetic modification of mRNAs, has been found implicating in various musculoskeletal disorders including IDD. However, the m6A dynamics in the progression of aging related IDD remain largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the m6A methylome of nucleus pulpous (NP) tissues from intervertebral disc (IVD) at different ages of rats. IVD tissues were obtained from rats at different ages, including 2, 10, and 20 months. Subsequently, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation next generation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and RNA-seq were conducted to identify differences in m6A methylomes and gene expression in NP tissues, and bioinformatics analysis was used to determine the relationship between them.