Global N<sup>6</sup>-Methyladenosine Profiling Revealed the Tissue-Specific Epitranscriptomic Regulation of Rice Responses to Salt Stress

oleh: Yinxiao Wang, Fengping Du, Yingbo Li, Juan Wang, Xiuqin Zhao, Zhikang Li, Jianlong Xu, Wensheng Wang, Binying Fu

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-02-01

Deskripsi

N<sup>6</sup>-methyladenosine (m<sup>6</sup>A) methylation represents a new layer of the epitranscriptomic regulation of plant development and growth. However, the effects of m<sup>6</sup>A on rice responses to environmental stimuli remain unclear. In this study, we performed a methylated-RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis and compared the changes in m<sup>6</sup>A methylation and gene expression in rice under salt stress conditions. Salt stress significantly increased the m<sup>6</sup>A methylation in the shoots (<i>p</i> value < 0.05). Additionally, 2537 and 2304 differential m<sup>6</sup>A sites within 2134 and 1997 genes were identified in the shoots and roots, respectively, under salt stress and control conditions. These differential m<sup>6</sup>A sites were largely regulated in a tissue-specific manner. A unique set of genes encoding transcription factors, antioxidants, and auxin-responsive proteins had increased or decreased m<sup>6</sup>A methylation levels only in the shoots or roots under salt stress, implying m<sup>6</sup>A may mediate salt tolerance by regulating transcription, ROS homeostasis, and auxin signaling in a tissue-specific manner. Integrating analyses of m<sup>6</sup>A modifications and gene expression changes revealed that m<sup>6</sup>A changes regulate the expression of genes controlling plant growth, stress responses, and ion transport under saline conditions. These findings may help clarify the regulatory effects of m<sup>6</sup>A modifications on rice salt tolerance.