Recombinant Human Alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase FTO (FTO)

Function

RNA demethylase that mediates oxidative demethylation of different RNA species, such as mRNAs, tRNAs and snRNAs, and acts as a regulator of fat mass, adipogenesis and energy homeostasis (PubMed:22002720, PubMed:25452335, PubMed:26457839, PubMed:26458103, PubMed:28002401, PubMed:30197295). Specifically demethylates N(6)-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA, the most prevalent internal modification of messenger RNA (mRNA) in higher eukaryotes (PubMed:22002720, PubMed:25452335, PubMed:26457839, PubMed:26458103, PubMed:30197295). M6A demethylation by FTO affects mRNA expression and stability (PubMed:30197295). Also able to demethylate m6A in U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) (PubMed:30197295). Mediates demethylation of N(6),2'-O-dimethyladenosine cap (m6A(m)), by demethylating the N(6)-methyladenosine at the second transcribed position of mRNAs and U6 snRNA (PubMed:28002401, PubMed:30197295). Demethylation of m6A(m) in the 5'-cap by FTO affects mRNA stability by promoting susceptibility to decapping (PubMed:28002401). Also acts as a tRNA demethylase by removing N(1)-methyladenine from various tRNAs (PubMed:30197295). Has no activity towards 1-methylguanine (PubMed:20376003). Has no detectable activity towards double-stranded DNA (PubMed:20376003). Also able to repair alkylated DNA and RNA by oxidative demethylation: demethylates single-stranded RNA containing 3-methyluracil, single-stranded DNA containing 3-methylthymine and has low demethylase activity towards single-stranded DNA containing 1-methyladenine or 3-methylcytosine (PubMed:18775698, PubMed:20376003). Ability to repair alkylated DNA and RNA is however unsure in vivo (PubMed:18775698, PubMed:20376003). Involved in the regulation of fat mass, adipogenesis and body weight, thereby contributing to the regulation of body size and body fat accumulation (PubMed:18775698, PubMed:20376003). Involved in the regulation of thermogenesis and the control of adipocyte differentiation into brown or white fat cells (PubMed:26287746). Regulates activity of the dopaminergic midbrain circuitry via its ability to demethylate m6A in mRNAs (By similarity). Plays an oncogenic role in a number of acute myeloid leukemias by enhancing leukemic oncogene-mediated cell transformation: acts by mediating m6A demethylation of target transcripts such as MYC, CEBPA, ASB2 and RARA, leading to promote their expression (PubMed:28017614, PubMed:29249359)

Subcellular Location

Nucleus; Nucleus speckle; Cytoplasm

Disease Association

Growth retardation, developmental delay, and facial dysmorphism (GDFD) : A severe polymalformation syndrome characterized by postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly, severe psychomotor delay, functional brain deficits and characteristic facial dysmorphism. In some patients, structural brain malformations, cardiac defects, genital anomalies, and cleft palate are observed. Early death occurs by the age of 3 years. [The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry] | Obesity (OBESITY) : A condition characterized by an increase of body weight beyond the limitation of skeletal and physical requirements, as the result of excessive accumulation of body fat. [Disease susceptibility is associated with variants affecting the gene represented in this entry. It is unclear whether variations associated with obesity directly affect FTO function or alter the expression of adjacent genes such as IRX3, rather than FTO itself (PubMed:24646999, PubMed:26287746). A pathogenic intronic FTO variation (rs1421085) disrupts an evolutionarily conserved motif for ARID5B binding (PubMed:26287746). Loss of ARID5B binding results in overexpression of two genes distal to FTO, IRX3 and IRX5. IRX3 and IRX5 overexpression shifts pre-adipocytes differentiation from brown to white fat cells, resulting in increased lipid storage and loss of mitochondrial thermogenesis (PubMed:26287746)]

Tissue Specificity

Ubiquitously expressed, with relatively high expression in adrenal glands and brain; especially in hypothalamus and pituitary (PubMed:17434869, PubMed:17496892). Highly expressed in highly expressed in acute myeloid leukemias (AML) with t(11;11)(q23;23) with KMT2A/MLL1 rearrangements, t(15;17)(q21;q21)/PML-RARA, FLT3-ITD, and/or NPM1 mutations (PubMed:28017614)

Subunit

Monomer (By similarity). May also exist as homodimer (By similarity)

• Nagase T. et al. Prediction of the coding sequences of unidentified human genes. XIX. The complete sequences of 100 new cDNA clones from brain which code for large proteins in vitro. — DNA Res. (2000)
• Martin J. et al. The sequence and analysis of duplication-rich human chromosome 16. — Nature (2004)
• The status, quality, and expansion of the NIH full-length cDNA project: the Mammalian Gene Collection (MGC). — Genome Res. (2004)
• Dina C. et al. Variation in FTO contributes to childhood obesity and severe adult obesity. — Nat. Genet. (2007)
• Frayling T.M. et al. A common variant in the FTO gene is associated with body mass index and predisposes to childhood and adult obesity. — Science (2007)
• Jia G. et al. Oxidative demethylation of 3-methylthymine and 3-methyluracil in single-stranded DNA and RNA by mouse and human FTO. — FEBS Lett. (2008)
• Choudhary C. et al. Lysine acetylation targets protein complexes and co-regulates major cellular functions. — Science (2009)
• Burkard T.R. et al. Initial characterization of the human central proteome. — BMC Syst. Biol. (2011)