Wu Jia Wen, Zheng Guang Ming, Zhang Lin, Zhao Ya Jie, Yan Ru Yu, Ren Ru Chang, Wei Yi Ming, Li Kunpeng, Zhang Xian Sheng, Zhao Xiang Yu
State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China.
The Key Laboratory of Plant Cell Engineering and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Shanda South Road 27, Jinan, Shandong 250100, China.
Plant Physiol. 2024 Dec 2;196(4):2476-2489. doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae451.
Maize (Zea mays L.) kernel development is a complex and dynamic process involving cell division and differentiation, into a variety of cell types. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, play a pivotal role in regulating this process. N6-methyladenosine modification is a universal and dynamic posttranscriptional epigenetic modification that is involved in the regulation of plant development. However, the role of N6-methyladenosine in maize kernel development remains unknown. In this study, we have constructed transcriptome-wide profiles for maize kernels at various stages of early development. Utilizing a combination of MeRIP-seq and RNA-seq analyses, we identified a total of 11,170, 10,973, 11,094, 11,990, 12,203, and 10,893 N6-methyladenosine peaks in maize kernels at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 days after pollination, respectively. These N6-methyladenosine modifications were primarily deposited at the 3'-UTRs and were associated with the conserved motif-UGUACA. Additionally, we found that conserved N6-methyladenosine modification is involved in the regulation of genes that are ubiquitously expressed during kernel development. Further analysis revealed that N6-methyladenosine peak intensity was negatively correlated with the mRNA abundance of these ubiquitously expressed genes. Meanwhile, we employed phylogenetic analysis to predict potential regulatory proteins involved in maize kernel development and identified several that participate in the regulation of N6-methyladenosine modifications. Collectively, our results suggest the existence of a novel posttranscriptional epigenetic modification mechanism involved in the regulation of maize kernel development, thereby providing a novel perspective for maize molecular breeding.
玉米（Zea mays L.）籽粒发育是一个复杂且动态的过程，涉及细胞分裂和分化，形成多种细胞类型。表观遗传修饰，包括DNA甲基化，在调控这一过程中起关键作用。N6-甲基腺苷修饰是一种普遍且动态的转录后表观遗传修饰，参与植物发育的调控。然而，N6-甲基腺苷在玉米籽粒发育中的作用仍不清楚。在本研究中，我们构建了玉米籽粒早期发育各个阶段的全转录组图谱。利用MeRIP-seq和RNA-seq分析相结合的方法，我们分别在授粉后0、2、4、6、8和12天的玉米籽粒中鉴定出总共11,170、10,973、11,094、11,990、12,203和10,893个N6-甲基腺苷峰。这些N6-甲基腺苷修饰主要沉积在3'-UTR，并与保守基序-UGUACA相关。此外，我们发现保守的N6-甲基腺苷修饰参与调控籽粒发育过程中普遍表达的基因。进一步分析表明，N6-甲基腺苷峰强度与这些普遍表达基因的mRNA丰度呈负相关。同时，我们采用系统发育分析来预测参与玉米籽粒发育的潜在调控蛋白，并鉴定出几种参与N6-甲基腺苷修饰调控的蛋白。总体而言，我们的结果表明存在一种新的转录后表观遗传修饰机制参与调控玉米籽粒发育，从而为玉米分子育种提供了新的视角。
