RNA N<sup>6</sup>‐methyladenosine modification suppresses replication of rice black streaked dwarf virus and is associated with virus persistence in its insect vector
Shuping Tian, Nan Wu, Lu Zhang, Xifeng Wang
Abstract
Abstract N 6 methylation of adenosine (m 6 A) was recently discovered to play a role in regulating the life cycle of various viruses by modifying viral and host RNAs. However, different studies on m 6 A effects on the same or different viruses have revealed contradictory roles for m 6 A in the viral life cycle. In this study, we sought to define the role of m 6 A on infection by rice black streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV), a double‐stranded RNA virus, of its vector small brown planthopper (SBPH). Infection by RBSDV decreased the level of m 6 A in midgut cells of SBPHs. We then cloned two genes ( LsMETTL3 and LsMETTL14 ) that encode m 6 A RNA methyltransferase in SBPHs. After interference with expression of the two genes, the titre of RBSDV in the midgut cells of SBPHs increased significantly, suggesting that m 6 A levels were negatively correlated with virus replication. More importantly, our results revealed that m 6 A modification might be the epigenetic mechanism that regulates RBSDV replication in its insect vector and maintains a certain virus threshold required for persistent transmission.