m6A-mediated regulation of crop development and stress responses

Abstract

Dynamic chemical modifications in eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) constitute an essential layer of gene regulation, among which N6-methyladenosine (m6A) was unveiled to be the most abundant. m6A functionally modulates important biological processes in various mammals and plants through the regulation of mRNA metabolism, mainly mRNA degradation and translation efficiency. Physiological functions of m6A methylation are diversified and affected by intricate sequence contexts and m6A machineries. A number of studies have dissected the functional roles and the underlying mechanisms of m6A modifications in regulating plant development and stress responses. Recently, it was demonstrated that the human FTO-mediated plant m6A removal caused dramatic yield increases in rice and potato, indicating that modulation of m6A methylation could be an efficient strategy for crop improvement. In this review, we summarize the current progress concerning the m6A-mediated regulation of crop development and stress responses, and provide an outlook on the potential application of m6A epitranscriptome in the future improvement of crops.