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m6A modification plays an integral role in mRNA stability and translation during pattern-triggered immunity

Tianyuan Chen1,2, George H Greene1,2, Jonathan Motley1,2

  • 1HHMI, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|August 8, 2024
PubMed

Insights

RNA modification N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is crucial for plant immunity. This study reveals m6A stabilizes the transcriptome while promoting rapid turnover of immune mRNAs, enhancing defense protein production.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Plant Science
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Plants utilize complex mechanisms to adapt to environmental stimuli.
  • RNA modifications, such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A), are increasingly recognized for their roles in regulating gene expression and cellular responses.
  • The specific functions of m6A in plant immunity, particularly distinguishing direct roles from pleiotropic effects, remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the essential role of m6A in plant basal resistance and pattern-triggered immunity (PTI).
  • To investigate the dynamic changes in m6A modification and its interaction with readers like EVOLUTIONARILY CONSERVED C-TERMINAL REGION2 (ECT2) during PTI.
  • To understand the dual function of m6A in RNA stability and translation efficiency during plant immune responses.

Main Methods:

  • Characterization of transient knockdown-mutants of m6A writer components and specific m6A reader mutants.
  • Global m6A profiling in mock and PTI-induced *Arabidopsis* plants.
  • Formaldehyde fixation and cross-linking immunoprecipitation-sequencing (CLIP-seq) for the m6A reader ECT2.
  • RNA degradation assays and polysome profiling to assess mRNA stability and translation.

Main Results:

  • m6A modification is demonstrated to be essential for basal resistance and PTI in plants.
  • Dynamic changes in m6A modification and ECT2 binding were observed upon PTI induction, although most sites remained static.
  • RNA degradation assays revealed a dual role for m6A: stabilizing the overall transcriptome while accelerating the turnover of immune-induced mRNAs.
  • Polysome profiling indicated that m6A enhances immune-associated translation through interaction with ECT2/3/4 readers.

Conclusions:

  • m6A plays a critical positive role in plant immunity.
  • The m6A modification dynamically regulates defense responses by destabilizing specific immune mRNAs and simultaneously enhancing their translation efficiency.
  • This mechanism ensures a transient surge in defense protein production, bolstering the plant's immune capacity.
Keywords:
RNA decaym6Aplant immunitytranslation efficiency

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