Chemical Deprenylation of <i>N</i><sup>6</sup>‐Isopentenyladenosine (i<sup>6</sup>A) RNA
Hou‐Ping Cheng, Xiaohui Yang, Lan Ling, Li‐Jun Xie, Chuan Chen, Cuimei Liu, Jinfang Chu, Zhi‐Yan Li, Li Liu, Tian‐Qi Zhang, Du‐Qiang Luo, Liang Cheng
Abstract
Abstract N 6 ‐isopentenyladenosine (i 6 A) is an RNA modification found in cytokinins, which regulate plant growth/differentiation, and a subset of tRNAs, where it improves the efficiency and accuracy of translation. The installation and removal of this modification is mediated by prenyltransferases and cytokinin oxidases, and a chemical approach to selective deprenylation of i 6 A has not been developed. We show that a selected group of oxoammonium cations function as artificial deprenylases to promote highly selective deprenylation of i 6 A in nucleosides, oligonucleotides, and live cells. Importantly, other epigenetic modifications, amino acid residues, and natural products were not affected. Moreover, a significant phenotype difference in the Arabidopsis thaliana shoot and root development was observed with incubation of the cation. These results establish these small organic molecules as direct chemical regulators/artificial deprenylases of i 6 A.