In the differentiated HL-60 neutrophil-like (dHL-60) cells infected with Escherichia coli (E.coli), a prevalent species responsible for sepsis caused by Gram-negative bacteria,3,17 we observed declined protein expression of ALKBH5 whereas the unchanged protein levels of other m6A enzymes (including FTO, METTL3, and METTL14) upon bacterial infection (Fig. 1a and Supplementary Fig. 1a). This evidence concerns the gene METTL3 and bacterial infectious disease.