Crosstalk between RNA m6A modification and epigenetic factors in plant gene regulation.

Abstract

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is the most abundant modification observed in eukaryotic mRNAs. Advances in transcriptome-wide m⁶A mapping and sequencing technologies have enabled the identification of several conserved motifs in plants, including the RRACH (R = A/G and H = A/C/U) and UGUAW (W = U or A) motifs. However, the mechanisms underlying deposition of m⁶A marks at specific positions in the conserved motifs of individual transcripts remain to be clarified. Evidence from plant and animal studies suggests that m⁶A writer or eraser components are recruited to specific genomic loci through interactions with particular transcription factors, 5-methylcytosine DNA methylation marks, and histone marks. In addition, recent studies in animal cells have shown that microRNAs play a role in depositing m⁶A marks at specific sites in transcripts through a base-pairing mechanism. m⁶A also affects the biogenesis and function of chromatin-associated regulatory RNAs and long noncoding RNAs. Although we have less of an understanding of the link between m⁶A modification and epigenetic factors in plants than in animals, recent progress in identifying the proteins that interact with m⁶A writer or eraser components has provided insights into the crosstalk between m⁶A modification and epigenetic factors, which plays a crucial role in transcript-specific methylation and regulation of m⁶A in plants.