MOV10 facilitates messenger RNA decay in an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) dependent manner to maintain the mouse embryonic stem cells state

N6 -methyladenosine (m6A) is the most predominant internal mRNA modification in eukaryotes, recognised by its reader proteins (so-called m6A-readers) for regulating subsequent mRNA fates — splicing, export, localisation, decay, stability, and translation — to control several biological processes. Although a few m6A-readers have been identified, yet the list is incomplete. Here, we identify a new m6A-reader protein, Moloney leukaemia virus 10 homologue (MOV10), in the m6A pathway. MOV10 recognises m6A-containing mRNAs with a conserved GGm6ACU motif. Mechanistic studies uncover that MOV10 facilitates mRNA decay of its bound m6A-containing mRNAs in an m6A-dependent manner within the cytoplasmic processing bodies (P-bodies). Furthermore, MOV10 decays the Gsk-3ß mRNA through m6A that stabilises the ß-CATENIN expression of a WNT/ß-CATENIN signalling pathway to regulate downstream NANOG expression for maintaining the mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) state. Thus, our findings reveal how a newly identified m6A-reader, MOV10 mediates mRNA decay via m6A that impact embryonic stem cell biology. ### Competing Interest Statement Eric miska is a co-founder and director of Strom Therapeutics, Cambridge, UK.