Mettl3 regulates hypertrophic differentiation of chondrocytes through modulating Dmp1 mRNA via Ythdf1-mediated m6A modification

As the main cells in endochondral osteogenesis, chondrocytes have limited self-repair ability due to weak proliferation activity, low density, and dedifferentiation tendency. Here, a thorough inquiry about the effect and underlying mechanisms of methyltransferase like-3 (METTL3) on chondrocytes was made. Functionally, it was indicated that METTL3 promoted the proliferation and hypertrophic differentiation of chondrocytes. Mechanically, Dmp1 (dentin Matrix Protein 1) was proved to be the downstream direct target of METTL3 for m⁶A modification to regulate the differentiation of chondrocytes through bioinformatics analysis and correlated experiments. The Reader protein Ythdf1 mediated Dmp1 mRNA catalyzed by METTL3. In vivo, the formation of subcutaneous ectopic cartilage-like tissue further supported the in vitro results. In conclusion, the gene regulation of METTL3/m⁶A/Ythdf1/Dmp1 axis in hypertrophic differentiation of chondrocytes for the development of endochondral osteogenesis may supply a promising treatment strategy for the repair and regeneration of bone defects.