Epitranscriptomic Control of Drought Tolerance in Rice: The Role of RNA Methylation
Drought stress is a predominant abiotic constraint adversely affecting global rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i>) production and threatening food security. While the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of drought-responsive pathways has been widely investigated, the emerging field...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Xiaoru Fan Yong Zhang Pengyuan Gu Misbah Naz |
| author_facet | Xiaoru Fan Yong Zhang Pengyuan Gu Misbah Naz |
| author_sort | Xiaoru Fan |
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| description | Drought stress is a predominant abiotic constraint adversely affecting global rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i>) production and threatening food security. While the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of drought-responsive pathways has been widely investigated, the emerging field of epitranscriptomics, particularly RNA chemical modifications such as N6-methyladenosine (m<sup>6</sup>A), adds a new dimension to gene regulation under stress. The most prevalent internal modification in eukaryotic messenger RNA influences RNA metabolism by interacting dynamically with enzymes that add, remove, or recognize the modification. Recent studies in rice reveal that m<sup>6</sup>A deposition is not static but dynamically regulated in response to water-deficit conditions, influencing transcript stability, splicing, nuclear export, and translation efficiency of key drought-responsive genes. This review critically synthesizes current findings on the distribution and functional implications of m<sup>6</sup>A and other epitranscriptomic marks (e.g., 5-methylcytosine [m<sup>5</sup>C], <i>pseudouridine</i> [Ψ]) in modulating rice responses to drought. We discuss the regulatory circuitry involving m<sup>6</sup>A effectors such as <i>OsMTA</i>, <i>OsFIP37</i>, and <i>YTH</i> domain proteins and their integration with known drought-signaling pathways including ABA and reactive oxygen species (ROS) cascades. We also highlight emerging high-resolution technologies such as m<sup>6</sup>A-seq, direct RNA sequencing, and nanopore-based detection that facilitate epitranscriptomic profiling in rice. Finally, we propose future directions for translating epitranscriptomic knowledge into crop improvement, including <i>CRISPR</i>/<i>Cas</i>-based modulation of RNA modification machinery to enhance drought tolerance. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-6cd1fea6013b4e43beca6e8d4bd21e632025-08-20T03:28:29ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-06-011413200210.3390/plants14132002Epitranscriptomic Control of Drought Tolerance in Rice: The Role of RNA MethylationXiaoru Fan0Yong Zhang1Pengyuan Gu2Misbah Naz3School of Chemistry and Life Science, Anshan Normal University, Anshan 114007, ChinaWuxi Branch of Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural, Wuxi 214000, ChinaSchool of Chemistry and Life Science, Anshan Normal University, Anshan 114007, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaDrought stress is a predominant abiotic constraint adversely affecting global rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i>) production and threatening food security. While the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of drought-responsive pathways has been widely investigated, the emerging field of epitranscriptomics, particularly RNA chemical modifications such as N6-methyladenosine (m<sup>6</sup>A), adds a new dimension to gene regulation under stress. The most prevalent internal modification in eukaryotic messenger RNA influences RNA metabolism by interacting dynamically with enzymes that add, remove, or recognize the modification. Recent studies in rice reveal that m<sup>6</sup>A deposition is not static but dynamically regulated in response to water-deficit conditions, influencing transcript stability, splicing, nuclear export, and translation efficiency of key drought-responsive genes. This review critically synthesizes current findings on the distribution and functional implications of m<sup>6</sup>A and other epitranscriptomic marks (e.g., 5-methylcytosine [m<sup>5</sup>C], <i>pseudouridine</i> [Ψ]) in modulating rice responses to drought. We discuss the regulatory circuitry involving m<sup>6</sup>A effectors such as <i>OsMTA</i>, <i>OsFIP37</i>, and <i>YTH</i> domain proteins and their integration with known drought-signaling pathways including ABA and reactive oxygen species (ROS) cascades. We also highlight emerging high-resolution technologies such as m<sup>6</sup>A-seq, direct RNA sequencing, and nanopore-based detection that facilitate epitranscriptomic profiling in rice. Finally, we propose future directions for translating epitranscriptomic knowledge into crop improvement, including <i>CRISPR</i>/<i>Cas</i>-based modulation of RNA modification machinery to enhance drought tolerance.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/2002<i>Oryza sativa</i>m<sup>6</sup>A RNA methylationRNA modificationdrought stressdrought-signaling pathwaysreactive oxygen species |
| spellingShingle | Xiaoru Fan Yong Zhang Pengyuan Gu Misbah Naz Epitranscriptomic Control of Drought Tolerance in Rice: The Role of RNA Methylation Plants <i>Oryza sativa</i> m<sup>6</sup>A RNA methylation RNA modification drought stress drought-signaling pathways reactive oxygen species |
| title | Epitranscriptomic Control of Drought Tolerance in Rice: The Role of RNA Methylation |
| title_full | Epitranscriptomic Control of Drought Tolerance in Rice: The Role of RNA Methylation |
| title_fullStr | Epitranscriptomic Control of Drought Tolerance in Rice: The Role of RNA Methylation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epitranscriptomic Control of Drought Tolerance in Rice: The Role of RNA Methylation |
| title_short | Epitranscriptomic Control of Drought Tolerance in Rice: The Role of RNA Methylation |
| title_sort | epitranscriptomic control of drought tolerance in rice the role of rna methylation |
| topic | <i>Oryza sativa</i> m<sup>6</sup>A RNA methylation RNA modification drought stress drought-signaling pathways reactive oxygen species |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/2002 |
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