Changes in m6A RNA methylation are associated with male sterility in wolfberry

Abstract

Background N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is the most abundant type of RNA modification in eukaryotic cells, playing pivotal roles in multiple plant growth and development processes. Yet the potential role of m6A in conferring the trait of male sterility in plants remains unknown. Results In this study, we performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) and m6A-sequencing (m6A-Seq) of RNAs obtained from the anther tissue of two wolfberry lines: ‘Ningqi No.1’ (LB1) and its natural male sterile mutant ‘Ningqi No.5’ (LB5). Based on the newly assembled transcriptome, we established transcriptome-wide m6A maps for LB1 and LB5 at the single nucleus pollen stage. We found that the gene XLOC_021201, a homolog of m6A eraser-related gene ALKBH10 in Arabidopsis thaliana, was significantly differentially expressed between LB1 and LB5. We also identified 1642 and 563 m6A-modified genes with hypermethylated and hypomethylated patterns, respectively, in LB1 compared with LB5. We found the hypermethylated genes significantly enriched in biological processes related to energy metabolism and lipid metabolism, while hypomethylation genes were mainly linked to cell cycle process, gametophyte development, and reproductive process. Among these 2205 differentially m6A methylated genes, 13.74% (303 of 2205) were differentially expressed in LB1 vis-à-vis LB5. Conclusions This study constructs the first m6A transcriptome map of wolfberry and establishes an association between m6A and the trait of male sterility in wolfberry.

Expression of a mammalian RNA demethylase increases flower number and floral stem branching in Arabidopsis thaliana

“…If there is a transcriptome-wide reduction in a destabilizing epitranscriptomic mark at RRACH motifs, we would expect relative enrichment of transcripts with a high concentration of those motifs among the upregulated genes. Genes whose transcripts are marked with m 6 A have been previously reported to be longer than genes whose transcripts are not methylated 45 . FTO-mediated removal of m 6 A and destabilization of those transcripts would cause an over-representation of longer genes among the downregulated gene list.…”

From TgO/GABA-AT, GABA, and T-263 Mutant to Conception of Toxoplasma

“…This provided a road map to relevant genes/proteins and regulatory mechanisms involved in genetics and mechanisms of failure of fusion of male and female gametes and infertility with key words “infertility,” “triggering,” “capacitating,” “building an acrosome,” “sperm motility”, Genes in this table were generated from the following ref. 43 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 ,…”

“…This assumption allowed us to down select our candidates to the genes shown in Tables 2 , 3 , and 4 supplemental MORC expression Tables from Farhat, Hakimi et al. , Figures S7 and S8 and identify genes that were further characterized by AlphaFold and to query whether mutations might alter functions 42 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , …”

“…Characterization and analysis of T-263 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 and its parental C56 C strain parasites reveals genes known in other species to affect capacitation and fertility 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 , ...…”

“…This phenotype included inability to form fused micro and macrogametes ( Figures 8 and 9 and in 63 ) even after decades of storage and coincident with use in our sequencing studies described below ( Tables 2 , 3 , and 4 [and in color Tables S4–S6 and S7 ]). 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 , …”