1State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, Jiangsu, China 2Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel 3Department of Zoology, St. Albert’s College (Autonomous), Kochi 682018, Kerala, India 4State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Bamboo Industry Institute, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin’an, Hangzhou 311300, Zhejiang, China 5Zhejiang Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Bamboo Resources and High-Efficiency Utilization, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin’an, Hangzhou 311300, Zhejiang, China 6Cardiac Metabolic Disease Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 625 021, Tamilnadu, India *Corresponding author. E-mail: weiqiang@njfu.edu.cn †Both authors contributed equally to the study.
Received: 09 Jun 2023 Accepted: 17 Dec 2023 Published online: 29 Dec 2023
Abstract
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in eukaryotes is the most common and widespread internal modification in mRNA. The modification regulates mRNA stability, translation efficiency, and splicing, thereby fine-tuning gene regulation. In plants, m6A is dynamic and critical for various growth stages, embryonic development, morphogenesis, flowering, stress response, crop yield, and biomass. Although recent high-throughput sequencing approaches have enabled the rapid identification of m6A modification sites, the site-specific mechanism of this modification remains unclear in trees. In this review, we discuss the functional significance of m6A in trees under different stress conditions and discuss recent advancements in the quantification of m6A. Quantitative and functional insights into the dynamic aspect of m6A modification could assist researchers in engineering tree crops for better productivity and resistance to various stress conditions.
