N(6)-methyladenosine in mRNA disrupts tRNA selection and translation elongation dynamics

N(6)-methylation of adenosine (m6A) is the most abundant post-transcriptional modification within the coding region of mRNA, but its role during translation remains unknown. Here, we used bulk kinetic and single-molecule methods to probe the effect of m6A in mRNA decoding. Although m6A base pairs with uridine during decoding as shown by x-ray crystallographic analyses of Thermus thermophilus ribosomal complexes, our measurements employing an Escherichia coli translation system revealed that m6A modification of mRNA can act as a barrier to tRNA accommodation and translation elongation. The interaction between an m6A-modified codon and cognate tRNA echoes the interaction between a near-cognate codon and tRNA, as delay in tRNA accommodation depends on the position and context of m6A within codons and on the accuracy level of translation. Overall, our results demonstrate that chemical modification of mRNA can change translational dynamics.