Abstract
As one of the prevalent posttranscriptional modifications of RNA, N(7)-methylguanosine (m(7)G) plays essential roles in RNA processing, metabolism, and function, mainly regulated by the methyltransferase-like 1 (METTL1) and WD repeat domain 4 (WDR4) complex. Emerging evidence suggests that the METTL1/WDR4 complex promoted or inhibited the processes of many tumors, including head and neck, lung, liver, colon, bladder cancer, and teratoma, dependent on close m(7)G methylation modification of tRNA or microRNA (miRNA). Therefore, METTL1 and m(7)G modification can be used as biomarkers or potential intervention targets, providing new possibilities for early diagnosis and treatment of tumors. This review will mainly focus on the mechanisms of METTL1/WDR4 via m(7)G in tumorigenesis and the corresponding detection methods.