M⁶A RNA demethylase AtALKBH9B promotes mobilization of a heat-activated long terminal repeat retrotransposon in Arabidopsis.

ABSTRACT: Transposons are mobile and ubiquitous DNA molecules that can cause vast genomic alterations. In plants, it is well documented that transposon mobilization is strongly repressed by DNA methylation; however, its regulation at the posttranscriptional level remains relatively uninvestigated. Here, we suggest that transposon RNA is marked by m⁶A RNA methylation and can be localized in stress granules (SGs). Intriguingly, SG-localized AtALKBH9B selectively demethylates a heat-activated retroelement, Onsen, and thereby releases it from spatial confinement, allowing for its mobilization. In addition, we show evidence that m⁶A RNA methylation contributes to transpositional suppression by inhibiting virus-like particle assembly and extrachromosomal DNA production. In sum

SUBMITTER: Fan W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10686560 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature