Epitranscriptomic alterations induced by environmental toxins: implications for RNA modifications and disease.

UNLABELLED

Epitranscriptomics, the study of chemical modifications on RNA molecules, has emerged as a vital regulatory layer in gene expression. Among the numerous RNA modifications, N6-methyladenosine (m6A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), and pseudouridine (Ψ) are particularly significant in maintaining RNA stability, splicing, translation, and cellular function. This review specifically explores how environmental toxins such as heavy metals, air pollutants, pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals can disrupt RNA modifications, leading to pathophysiological consequences. By focusing on major RNA marks and their associated regulatory enzymes (writers, erasers, and readers), we elucidate the molecular mechanisms through which toxins impair RNA processing and translation. These disruptions have been increasingly linked to disease development, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic syndromes, and immune dysfunction. Moreover, the review highlights recent technological advances such as high-throughput sequencing, mass spectrometry, and CRISPR-based RNA editing that enable detection and characterization of epitranscriptomic changes. Importantly, RNA modifications are dynamic and reversible, making them promising candidates for use as early biomarkers of environmental exposure and disease risk. We also discuss emerging non-canonical RNA modifications and their roles in toxicological responses. The potential of RNA-based biomarkers to enhance environmental health monitoring and precision medicine is significant, although challenges such as methodological standardization, context-specific variability, and clinical translation remain. This synthesis offers a focused, mechanistic perspective on the intersection of RNA biology and environmental toxicology, emphasizing the relevance of RNA modifications as both molecular targets and diagnostic tools in assessing the biological impact of environmental insults.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

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