Regulation of blood pressure by METTL3 via RUNX1b-eNOS pathway in endothelial cells

Abstract Background Endothelial cells regulate vascular tone to control the blood pressure (BP) by producing both relaxing and contracting factors. Previously, we identified methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3), a primary N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) methyltransferase, as a key player in alleviating endothelial atherogenic progression. However, its involvement in BP regulation remains unclear. Methods To evaluate the role of METTL3 in vivo , mice with EC specific METTL3 deficiency (EC- Mettl3 KO ) with or without Ang II infusion were used to create a hypertensive model. Functional and MeRIP sequencing analysis were performed to explore the mechanism of METTL3-mediated hypertension. Results We observed a reduction in endothelial METTL3 activity by Ang II in vitro and in vivo . Endothelial METTL3-deficient mice exhibited higher BP than controls, both before and after Ang II infusion. Through m 6 A sequencing and functional analysis, we identified m 6 A modification of various RUNX1 monomers resulted in endothelial dysfunction. Mutations in the 3′UTR region of RUNX1b abolished its luciferase reporter activity, and enhanced eNOS promoter luciferase reporter activity with or without METTL3 overexpression. Overexpression of METTL3 by adeno-associated virus reduced Ang II-induced BP elevation. Conclusion This study reveals that METTL3 alleviates hypertension through m 6 A-dependent stabilization of RUNX1b mRNA, leading to upregulation of eNOS, thus underscoring the pivotal role of RNA transcriptomics in the regulation of hypertension.