RNA m⁶A regulates the transcription and heterochromatin state of retrotransposons in Arabidopsis.

ABSTRACT: Chromatin and transcription states are crucial for establishing and maintaining gene regulation and genome integrity, governed by a complex network of epigenetic modifications. Despite significant advancements, the interplay between epitranscriptomic and epigenetic modifications in transcriptional regulation and chromatin state remains elusive in plants. Here we profile a comprehensive spectrum of N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) on chromatin-associated RNAs, especially retrotransposon transcripts, in Arabidopsis. We show that m⁶A writer subunits FIP37 and VIR mediate the methylation of retrotransposon RNAs, which are recognized by the nuclear m⁶A reader proteins CPSF30-L and ECT12, leading to a closed heterochromatin state and transcription suppression

SUBMITTER: Song P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12626882 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature