Novel insight into the regulatory roles of diverse RNA modifications: Re-defining the bridge between transcription and translation

RNA modifications can be added or removed by a variety of enzymes that catalyse the necessary reactions, and these modifications play roles in essential molecular mechanisms. The prevalent modifications on mRNA include N6-methyladenosine (m(6)A), N1-methyladenosine (m(1)A), 5-methylcytosine (m(5)C), 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hm(5)C), pseudouridine (Ψ), inosine (I), uridine (U) and ribosemethylation (2’-O-Me). Most of these modifications contribute to pre-mRNA splicing, nuclear export, transcript stability and translation initiation in eukaryotic cells. By participating in various physiological processes, RNA modifications also have regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of tumour and non-tumour diseases. We discussed the physiological roles of RNA modifications and associated these roles with disease pathogenesis. Functioning as the bridge between transcription and translation, RNA modifications are vital for the progression of numerous diseases and can even regulate the fate of cancer cells.