YTHDF1 mediates translational control by m6A mRNA methylation in adaptation to environmental challenges.

Animals adapt to environmental challenges with long-term changes at the behavioral, circuit, cellular, and synaptic levels which often require new protein synthesis. The discovery of reversible N6-methyladenosine (mA) modifications of mRNA has revealed an important layer of post-transcriptional regulation which affects almost every phase of mRNA metabolism and therefore translational control. Many and studies have demonstrated the significant role of mA in cell differentiation and survival, but its role in adult neurons is understudied.

Pre-pandemic circadian phase predicts pandemic alcohol use among adolescents.

Later circadian timing during adolescence is linked to worse sleep, more severe depression and greater alcohol involvement, perhaps due to circadian misalignment imposed by early school schedules. School schedules shifted later during the COVID-19 pandemic, ostensibly reducing circadian misalignment and potentially mitigating problems with depression and alcohol. We used the pandemic as a natural experiment to test whether adolescent drinkers with later circadian timing showed improvements in sleep, depression and alcohol involvement.