Figure 2. m⁶A regulates IFN-β and the type I IFN response.

1) Following viral detection by PRRs and the activation of signaling pathways such as those described above, type I IFNs are produced [37]. The IFNB1 transcript is m⁶A modified, and m⁶A recruits the reader protein YTHDF2 to facilitate IFNB1 degradation, dampening the production of IFN-β [70, 71]. 2) IFN-β activates signaling through the JAK-STAT pathway, activating JAK1 and TYK2 kinases, which phosphorylate STAT1 and STAT2, which associate with IRF9, forming a transcription factor complex that drives the transcription of ISGs [72]. Many ISGs are m⁶A-modified, and m⁶A enhances the translation of a subset of these ISGs. This translation enhancement by m⁶A and reader proteins like YTHDF1 promotes the antiviral effects of the type I IFN response [75]. Proteins whose expression are known to be regulated by m⁶A or m⁶A-related enzymes are shown in red text.