Effect of FTO overexpression and knockdown on transcriptome of HEK293 cells

To gain insight into FTO function, we knocked down and overexpressed FTO in HEK293 cells.Genetrail analyses of expression profiles pointed to the RNA splicing and processing machinery. Intriguingly, using immunocytochemistry and confocal laser scanning microscopy, we observed strong enrichment of FTO in nuclear speckles and - to a lesser extent - in nucleoli, but not in other known nuclear bodies. We also studied RNA samples of Fto knockout and wild type mice with regard to content of methylated and unmethylated nucleosidesand observed that ratios of modified and unmodified uracil and adenine were different depending on the presence of FTO. Taken together, our data suggest that FTO is involved in RNA processing and modification.

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Berulava T, Ziehe M, Klein-Hitpass L, Mladenov E, Thomale J, Rüther U, Horsthemke B