m6A directs the demethylation of histone H3K9me2 co-transcriptionall
Here we show the repressive H3K9me2 mark is specifically removed by the induction of m6A-modified transcripts. We demonstrate that the methyltransferase METTL3/METTL14 regulates H3K9me2 modification. We observed a genome-wide correlation between m6A and occupancy by the H3K9me2 demethylase KDM3B, and we found m6A reader YTHDC1 physically interacts and recruits KDM3B to m6A-associated chromatin regions, promoting H3K9me2 demethylation and gene expression. This study establishes a direct link between m6A and dynamic chromatin modification and provides mechanistic insight into the co-transcriptional interplay between RNA modification and histone modifications. Overall design: Examination of m6A methylation and H3K9me2 histone modification