N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal modification in eukaryotic mRNA and long non-coding RNA. The METTL3-METTL14 methyltransferase complex installs it co-transcriptionally. Demethylases FTO and ALKBH5 remove it. Reader proteins with YTH domains recognise the modification. They then direct transcripts to specific fates, including translation, storage, or decay.
Epigenetics Research Tools
m6A RNA Methylation Kits for Quantification, Enzyme Activity and MeRIP
m6A and 5-mC RNA Methylation Kits for Quantification, Enzyme Activity and MeRIP
You can quantify N6-methyladenosine and 5-mC RNA methylation in total RNA without antibody pulldown or sequencing, for a global-level read-out of epitranscriptomic regulation. N6-methyladenosine is the most abundant internal modification in eukaryotic mRNA and long non-coding RNA. Changes in its level are linked to altered RNA stability, splicing, and translation efficiency in development and disease.
Colorimetric ELISA-like quantification kits read global m6A and 5-mC levels from 100 to 200 ng of your total RNA. They give a result in under four hours and use a standard microplate reader. Fluorometric variants offer higher sensitivity for your low-abundance samples, where colorimetric detection is not sensitive enough.
For enzymatic regulation studies, demethylase activity assay kits measure FTO and ALKBH5 function from your nuclear extracts or recombinant enzyme preparations. This makes them suitable for your inhibitor screening. For region-specific m6A enrichment and transcriptome-wide profiling, CUT&RUN-based MeRIP kits enrich RNA fragments containing m6A for PCR analysis or sequencing. Full Illumina-ready sequencing library kits combine this CUT&RUN-style enrichment with post-ligation library construction, for next-generation sequencing of the methylated transcriptome.
RNA methylation detection at the global level takes under four hours. For your locus-resolved profiling, the nuclease enrichment workflow takes one day.
Choosing the right m6A RNA methylation approach
- If you need a global m6A or 5-mC level from total RNA without sequencing: a colorimetric m6A or 5-mC RNA methylation quantification kit covers this. It gives an ELISA-like readout from 100 to 200 ng of input in a 4-hour protocol.
- If your RNA amount is limited and you need higher sensitivity: a fluorometric m6A or 5-mC quantification kit covers this. It has a lower detection threshold, making it suitable when RNA input is limited.
- If you are profiling m6A demethylase activity for drug screening: an m6A demethylase activity and inhibition assay kit covers this. It measures FTO and ALKBH5 activity from nuclear or recombinant enzyme preparations.
- If you need locus-specific m6A enrichment without full MeRIP-seq cost: an antibody-tethered nuclease RNA enrichment kit covers this. It cuts RNA at m6A sites.
- If you need a complete m6A-seq library for Illumina sequencing: a CUT&RUN-based RNA m6A sequencing library construction kit covers this. It combines enrichment with post-ligation library prep for next-generation sequencing.
Parent category: epigenetics research kits
Applications
mRNA stability and decay
m6A sequencing library kits map m6A sites, helping you find transcripts whose decay is regulated by METTL3/METTL14 deposition and FTO/ALKBH5 removal.
Alternative splicing
Intronic and exonic m6A marks recruit YTHDC1, the reader protein that promotes exon inclusion or skipping during your pre-mRNA processing studies.
Stem cell pluripotency and differentiation
Dynamic m6A changes, profiled as your pluripotent stem cells exit self-renewal, mark transcripts for rapid turnover during fate transitions.
Cancer epitranscriptomics
Elevated global m6A, and oncogenic transcripts hyper-methylated to escape degradation, are quantified in your leukaemia, glioblastoma and other malignancy samples.
Stress response and translation
Redistribution of m6A under hypoxia, heat shock, or DNA damage shows how your stress-responsive transcripts are selectively translated.
Demethylase inhibitor screening
FTO and ALKBH5 activity, measured from nuclear or recombinant enzyme preparations, is tested against your candidates from inhibitor compound libraries.
Frequently asked questions
Total RNA is immobilised in strip wells using an RNA-binding solution. m6A is then detected with a specific capture antibody and a detection antibody, followed by colorimetric or fluorometric signal development. The assay provides a global m6A measurement rather than transcript- or site-specific information.
MeRIP-seq fragments mRNA, then uses an anti-m6A antibody to immunoprecipitate the m6A-containing fragments. It sequences the enriched fraction alongside an input control. The result is a transcriptome-wide map of methylated positions. Use MeRIP-seq when you need to identify which specific transcripts and sequence motifs carry m6A. Use a quantification kit when a global level comparison across many samples is enough.
The CUT&RUN m6A enrichment workflow starts from total RNA. Depending on the kit and experimental objective, 1 to 20 ug total RNA is recommended, with data obtainable from as little as 500 ng for the enrichment kit. RNA quality should be assessed before analysis, and input requirements should be checked against the relevant product manual.
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