Genome-wide identification of the N6-methyladenosine regulatory genes reveals NtFIP37B increases drought resistance of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)
Huan Su, Lijun Meng, Zechao Qu, Wei Zhang, Nan Liu, Peijian Cao, Jingjing Jin
Abstract
Abstract Background N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) is one of the common internal RNA modifications found in eukaryotes. The m 6 A modification can regulate various biological processes in organisms through the modulation of alternative splicing, alternative polyadenylation, folding, translation, localization, transport, and decay of multiple types of RNA, without altering the nucleotide sequence. The three components involved in m 6 A modification, namely writer, eraser, and reader, mediate the abundance of RNA m 6 A modification through complex collaborative actions. Currently, research on m 6 A regulatory genes in plants is still in its infancy. Results In this study, we identified 52 candidate m 6 A regulatory genes in common tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L . ). Gene structure, conserved domains, and motif analysis showed structural and functional diversity among different subgroups of tobacco m 6 A regulatory genes. The amplification of m 6 A regulatory genes were mainly driven by polyploidization and dispersed duplication, and duplicated genes evolved through purified selection. Based on the potential regulatory network and expression pattern analysis of m 6 A regulatory genes, a significant number of m 6 A regulatory genes might play important roles in growth, development, and stress response processes. Furthermore, we have confirmed the critical role of NtFIP37B , an m 6 A writer gene in tobacco, in enhancing drought resistance. Conclusions This study provides useful information for better understanding the evolution of m 6 A regulatory genes and the role of m 6 A modification in tobacco stress response, and lays the foundation for further elucidating the function of m 6 A regulatory genes in tobacco.