Open AccessN6‐methyladenosine regulatory machinery in plants: composition, function and evolution
Author(s) -
Yue Hong,
Nie Xiaojun,
Yan Zhaogui,
Weining Song
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
plant biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.525
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1467-7652
pISSN - 1467-7644
DOI - 10.1111/pbi.13149
Subject(s) - biology , n6 methyladenosine , computational biology , function (biology) , mechanism (biology) , plant development , rna , evolutionary biology , plant growth , genetics , gene , methylation , botany , methyltransferase , philosophy , epistemology
Summary N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation, one of the most pivotal internal modifications of RNA , is a conserved post‐transcriptional mechanism to enrich and regulate genetic information in eukaryotes. The scope and function of this modification in plants has been an intense focus of study, especially in model plant systems. The characterization of plant m6A writers, erasers and readers, as well as the elucidation of their functions, is currently one of the most fascinating hotspots in plant biology research. The functional analysis of m6A in plants will be booming in the foreseeable future, which could contribute to crop genetic improvement through epitranscriptome manipulation. In this review, we systematically analysed and summarized recent advances in the understanding of the structure and composition of plant m6A regulatory machinery, and the biological functions of m6A in plant growth, development and stress response. Finally, our analysis showed that the evolutionary relationships between m6A modification components were highly conserved across the plant kingdom.