Genome-wide identification of m6A methyltransferase genes and m6A modification participates in the response to cold stress in rice

RNA modification is crucial for the post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism that plays a pivotal role in determining RNA structure and function. Among these, N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) represents the most abundant one in eukaryotic mRNA. In plants, m 6 A modification is catalyzed by a complex comprising multiple methyltransferase components. In this study, bioinformatic analyses were employed to characterize the genes of m 6 A methyltransferases (m 6 A writers), including their physicochemical properties, structures, cis -acting elements, chromosomal distributions, phylogenetic relationships, and predicted protein structures. Moreover, qRT-PCR and LC-MS/MS were utilized to investigate the expression patterns of m 6 A writer genes as well as the m 6 A abundance in total RNA from rice seedlings under low-temperature conditions. Additionally, m 6 A me-RIP sequencing was performed to explore changes in the m 6 A profile of mRNA in rice under cold stress. Collectively, our findings revealed the involvement in the regulation of mRNA m 6 A modification under cold stress in rice.