METTL14 is a chromatin regulator independent of RNA N6-methyladenosine (mRNA)

METTL3 and METTL14 are two components that form the core heterodimer of the main RNA m6A methyltransferase complex (MTC, also known as m6A writer) that installs m6A. Surprisingly, depletion of METTL3 or METTL14 displayed distinct effects on mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) self-renewal. While comparable global hypo-methylation in RNA m6A was observed in Mettl3 or Mettl14 knockout mESCs, respectively. Mettl14 knockout led to a globally decreased nascent RNA synthesis, whereas Mettl3 depletion resulted in transcription upregulation, suggesting that METTL14 might possess an m6A-indenepent role in gene regulation. We found that METTL14 colocalizes with the repressive H3K27me3 modification and PRC2 complex. Mechanically, METTL14, but not METTL3, recognizes H3K27me3 and recruits KDM6B to induce H3K27me3 demethylation independent of METTL3. Depletion of METTL14 thus led to a global increase in H3K27me3 level along with a global gene suppression . The regulation of H3K27me3 by METTL14 is essential to the transition of mESCs from self-renewal to differentiation. This work reveals a regulation mechanism on heterochromatin by METTL14 in a manner distinct from METTL3 and independently of m6A, and critically impacts transcriptional regulation, stemness maintenance and differentiation of mESCs.