RNA 存在多种化学修饰,这些修饰赋予核苷酸结构多样性,参与调控RNA 代谢、蛋白质合成和多种细胞功能。目前真核细胞中唯一已知的RNA 乙酰化修饰即N4-乙酰胞苷(N4-acetylcytidine, ac4C)。以往的研究表明,ac4C 主要发生在核糖体RNA(ribosome RNA, rRNA)和转运RNA(transfer RNA, tRNA)。最近的研究表明, ac4C也可以发生在信使RNA(messenger RNA,mRNA),并促进mRNA 的稳定性和翻译效率。相对于被广泛研究的mRNA 甲基化修饰(如m6A), 人们对ac4C修饰的功能和调控机制的研究尚处于起步阶段。本文主要综述mRNA 的ac4C修饰在神经系统生理和病理过程,如学习记忆、疼痛及阿尔茨海默病中的作用,并讨论ac4C研究领域有待解决的关键科学问题,以促进RNA 化学修饰调控神经功能的研究。

RNAs are subject to a variety of chemical modifications that confer structural diversity to the nucleotides and are involved in the regulation of RNA metabolism, protein synthesis and a variety of cellular functions.N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) is the only known form of RNA acetylation in eukaryotes.Ac4C has long been identified in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA). Recent studies have shown that ac4C also occurs in messenger RNA (mRNA), promoting mRNA stability and translation efficiency. Compared with the widely studied mRNA methylation modifications (e.g.m6A), the functions and regulatory mechanisms of ac4C modifications of mR-NA are far less well-known. This review aims to summarize the function of ac4C modifications of mRNA in physiological and pathological processes in the nervous system, such as learning and memory, pain, and Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, this review will discuss the critical questions that should be addressed in the ac4C field to promote the research of RNA modification in the nervous system.