Background:
N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is considered to be the most prevalent and abundant internal modification observed in
mRNA between viruses and mammals. As a reversible epigenetic modification,
m6A controls gene expression in diverse physiological and
pathological processes. Accumulating evidence in recent years reveals that aberrant expression of
m6A reader
proteins may have
tumor-suppressing or carcinogenic functions. However, the biological role and mechanism of
m6A reader YTH Domain Containing 1 (YTHDC1) in
ovarian cancer progression remain inadequately understood. Methods: Quantitative RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and bioinformatics analyses were undertaken for studying the YTHDC1 expression in
ovarian cancer. In vitro and in vivo models were used to examine the role of YTHDC1.
RNA sequencing,
RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing, m6A-modified
RNA immunoprecipitation,
actinomycin-D assay,
chromatin immunoprecipitation, and Western blot were used in the investigation the regulatory mechanisms among YTHDC1,
Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3),
Phosphoinositide-3-Kinase Regulatory Subunit 1 (PIK3R1), and
Glucosidase II Alpha Subunit (GANAB). Results: Here, we found that YTHDC1 expression is decreased in
ovarian cancer. Overexpression of YTHDC1 inhibited
ovarian cancer development both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, PIK3R1 was identified to be the direct target for YTHDC1. YTHDC1 enhanced PIK3R1 stability in an m6A-dependent manner, which subsequently inhibited GANAB expression in the N-
glycan biosynthesis via the STAT3 signaling. Conclusions: Our findings unveil YTHDC1 as a
tumor suppressor in the progression of
ovarian cancer and as a potential prognostic
biomarker that could serve as a target in
ovarian cancer treatment.