N6-甲基腺苷(N6-methyladenosine,m6A)是真核生物RNA 中常见且可逆的mRNA 修饰, 属于表观遗传学修饰之一。在甲基转移酶、去甲基化酶及阅读蛋白的调控下,m6A 修饰通过介导RNA 转录、剪接、翻译等过程来影响相关蛋白质的表达,调控机体的生理生化过程。重度抑郁症(major depressive disorder,MDD)作为一种发病率高,治愈率低且极易复发的精神类疾病,其致病因素诸多,如遗传因素、环境因素和表观遗传学因素等,但其发病具体机制尚不清楚。近期研究发 现m6A 修饰与MDD发病之间存在密切关系,并逐渐成为研究MDD发病机制的热点。本文通过对m6A 甲基化修饰过程及相关酶类在MDD患者中枢神经系统的表达及作用进行综述,以期为重度抑郁症的研究和治疗提供新的思路及药物靶点。

N6-methyladenosine (m6A), which belongs to the field of the epigenetic modifications, is a common and reversible mRNA modification in eukaryotic RNA. Regulated by methyltransferases, demethyltransferases, and reader proteins, m6A modification affects the expression of relevant proteins by mediating RNA transcription, splicing, translation, and other processes, thereby regulating the physiological and biochemical processes of the organism. Major depressive disorder (MDD), characterized by a high incidence, low cure rate, and a high recurrence rate, is a psychiatric disorder with multiple etiological factors, including genetic factors, environmental factors and epigenetic factors. However, the specific mechanisms underlying MDD remain unclear. Recent studies have found a close relationship between m6A modification and the pathogenesis of MDD, making it a hot topic in MDD research. This article reviews the m6A methylation, as well as the expression and roles of related enzymes in the central nervous system of MDD patients, aiming to provide new insights and potential drug targets for the research and treatment of MDD.