MiRNA and Methylation: a Multifaceted Liaison

miRNAs and DNA methylation are both critical regulators of gene expression. Aberration in miRNA expression or DNA methylation is a causal factor for numerous pathological conditions. DNA methylation can inhibit the transcription of miRNAs, just like coding genes, by methylating the CpG islands in the promoter regions of miRNAs. Conversely, certain miRNAs can directly target DNA methyltransferases and bring about their inhibition, thereby affecting the whole genome methylation pattern. Recently, methylation patterns have also been revealed in mRNA. Surprisingly, the two most commonly studied methylation states in mRNA (m6A and m5C) are found to be enriched in 3'-UTRs (untranslated regions), the target site for the majority of miRNAs. Whereas m5C is reported to stabilise mRNA, m6A has a destabilising effect on mRNA. However, the effect of mRNA methylation on its interaction with miRNAs is largely unexplored. The review highlights the complex interplay between microRNA and methylation at DNA and mRNA level.