ECT12, an YTH-domain protein, is a potential mRNA m⁶A reader that affects abiotic stress responses by modulating mRNA...

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A), the most abundant modification found in eukaryotic mRNAs, is interpreted by m⁶A "readers," thus playing a crucial role in regulating RNA metabolism. The YT521-B homology-domain (YTHD) proteins, also known as EVOLUTIONARILY CONSERVED C-TERMINAL REGION (ECT), are recognized as m⁶A reader proteins in plants and animals. Among the 13 potential YTHD family proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana, the functions of only a few members are known. In this study, we determined the function of ECT12 (YTH11) as a potential m⁶A reader that plays a crucial role in response to abiotic stresses. The loss-of-function ect12 mutants showed no noticeable developmental defects under normal conditions but displayed hypersensitivity to salt or dehydration stress. The salt- or dehydration-hypersensitive phenotypes were correlated with altered levels of several m⁶A-modified stress-responsive transcripts. Notably, the increased or decreased transcript levels were associated with each transcript's reduced or enhanced decay, respectively. Electrophoretic mobility shift and RNA-immunoprecipitation assays showed that ECT12 binds to m⁶A-modified RNAs both in vitro and in planta, suggesting its role as an m⁶A reader. Collectively, these results indicate that the potential m⁶A reader ECT12 regulates the stability of m⁶A-modified RNA transcripts, thereby facilitating the response of Arabidopsis to abiotic stresses.