Roles of N 6 -methyladenosine writers, readers and erasers in the mammalian germline

N -methyladenosine (m A) is the most abundant internal modification of mRNAs in eukaryotes. Numerous studies have shown that m A plays key roles in many biological and pathophysiological processes, including fertility. The factors involved in m A-dependent mRNA regulation include writers, which deposit the m A mark, erasers, which remove it, and readers, which bind to m A-modified transcripts and mediate the regulation of mRNA fate. Many of these proteins are highly expressed in the germ cells of mammals, and some have been linked to fertility disorders in human patients. In this review, we summarise recent findings on the important roles played by proteins involved in m A biology in mammalian gametogenesis and fertility. Continued study of the m A pathway in the mammalian germline will shed further light on the importance of epitranscriptomics in reproduction and may lead to effective treatment of human fertility disorders.