Abstract

Many of the over 100 types of chemical RNA modifications identified in organism of all kingdoms of life are are functionally indispensable for protein synthesis because they regulate translational speed and accuracy. Accordingly, loss-of-function mutations in enzymes responsible for the formation of RNA modifications can cause severe human diseases including neuro-developmental disorders, mitochondrial diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Here, I will focus on the formation of 5-methylcytidine in RNA and show how loss of RNA methylation mechanistically affects protein translation and thereby regulates the cellular response to environmental stress stimuli. This is important because these newly discovered biological roles of RNA methylation directly influence cell fate decision in normal tissue development and tumour formation.