The Role of m6A-RNA modifications in cellular stress responses

A central question in tumor microenvironment (TME) related research is the understanding of how cancer cells can recruit and reprogram an anti-tumorigenic environment towards a cancer-promoting one. Since in cancer progression, the TME can be exposed to hypoxic, acidic, oxidative and nutrient-deprived environments, stress and the cellular stress-responses might be a major component in causing this phenotypic switch. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) are abundant mRNA modifications that are involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Recent publications show a link between m6A dependent mechanisms and the regulation of different stress response pathways. The goal of this study is to explore the impact of m6A modifications on the regulation of cellular stress responses. Therefore we analyze the m6A/m modification landscape during stress- exposure and response and characterize the effects of perturbations on the functionality of the stress responses.