Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of m6A-Related Gene Family in Poplar Nanlin895

<b>Background:</b> N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent chemical modification of eukaryotic RNA, playing a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development, stress responses, and other essential biological processes. The enzymes involved in m6A modification—methyltransfe...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zeyu Li, Rongxia Liu, Mingqiang Zhu, Jinye Zhang, Zhoujin Li, Kaixin Huang, Zehua Ren, Yan Zhao, Keming Luo, Qin Song
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Plants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/2017
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849319939358326784
author Zeyu Li
Rongxia Liu
Mingqiang Zhu
Jinye Zhang
Zhoujin Li
Kaixin Huang
Zehua Ren
Yan Zhao
Keming Luo
Qin Song
author_facet Zeyu Li
Rongxia Liu
Mingqiang Zhu
Jinye Zhang
Zhoujin Li
Kaixin Huang
Zehua Ren
Yan Zhao
Keming Luo
Qin Song
author_sort Zeyu Li
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background:</b> N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent chemical modification of eukaryotic RNA, playing a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development, stress responses, and other essential biological processes. The enzymes involved in m6A modification—methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and recognition proteins (readers)—have been identified in various plant species; however, their roles in the economically significant tree species <i>Populus deltoides</i> × <i>P. euramericana</i> (NL895) remain underexplored. <b>Results:</b> In this study, we identified 39 m6A-related genes in the NL895 genome, comprising 8 writers, 13 erasers, and 18 readers. Evolutionary analysis indicated that the expansion of writers and readers primarily resulted from whole-genome duplication events. Purifying selection pressures were observed on all duplicated gene pairs, suggesting their essential roles in functional differentiation. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that writers, erasers, and readers are categorized into six, four, and two groups, respectively, with these genes being more conserved among dicotyledonous plants. Gene structure, protein domains, and motifs exhibited greater conservation within the same group. Promoter analysis of m6A-related genes showed enrichment of <i>cis</i>-acting elements associated with responses to light, phytohormones, and stress, indicating their potential involvement in gene expression regulation. Under cadmium treatment, the expression of all writers was significantly upregulated in both the aboveground and root tissues of NL895. <b>Conclusions:</b> This study systematically identified m6A-related gene families in <i>Populus deltoides</i> × <i>P. euramericana</i> (NL895), elucidating their evolutionary patterns and expression regulation characteristics. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for analyzing the molecular mechanisms of m6A modification in poplar growth, development, and stress adaptation, and offered candidate genes for molecular breeding in forest trees.
format Article
id doaj-art-98fed535cd4441f1b1e65d805fa35405
institution Kabale University
issn 2223-7747
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Plants
spelling doaj-art-98fed535cd4441f1b1e65d805fa354052025-08-20T03:50:16ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-07-011413201710.3390/plants14132017Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of m6A-Related Gene Family in Poplar Nanlin895Zeyu Li0Rongxia Liu1Mingqiang Zhu2Jinye Zhang3Zhoujin Li4Kaixin Huang5Zehua Ren6Yan Zhao7Keming Luo8Qin Song9Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forest Resource Innovation and Utilization, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forest Resource Innovation and Utilization, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forest Resource Innovation and Utilization, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forest Resource Innovation and Utilization, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forest Resource Innovation and Utilization, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forest Resource Innovation and Utilization, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forest Resource Innovation and Utilization, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forest Resource Innovation and Utilization, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forest Resource Innovation and Utilization, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forest Resource Innovation and Utilization, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China<b>Background:</b> N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent chemical modification of eukaryotic RNA, playing a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development, stress responses, and other essential biological processes. The enzymes involved in m6A modification—methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and recognition proteins (readers)—have been identified in various plant species; however, their roles in the economically significant tree species <i>Populus deltoides</i> × <i>P. euramericana</i> (NL895) remain underexplored. <b>Results:</b> In this study, we identified 39 m6A-related genes in the NL895 genome, comprising 8 writers, 13 erasers, and 18 readers. Evolutionary analysis indicated that the expansion of writers and readers primarily resulted from whole-genome duplication events. Purifying selection pressures were observed on all duplicated gene pairs, suggesting their essential roles in functional differentiation. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that writers, erasers, and readers are categorized into six, four, and two groups, respectively, with these genes being more conserved among dicotyledonous plants. Gene structure, protein domains, and motifs exhibited greater conservation within the same group. Promoter analysis of m6A-related genes showed enrichment of <i>cis</i>-acting elements associated with responses to light, phytohormones, and stress, indicating their potential involvement in gene expression regulation. Under cadmium treatment, the expression of all writers was significantly upregulated in both the aboveground and root tissues of NL895. <b>Conclusions:</b> This study systematically identified m6A-related gene families in <i>Populus deltoides</i> × <i>P. euramericana</i> (NL895), elucidating their evolutionary patterns and expression regulation characteristics. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for analyzing the molecular mechanisms of m6A modification in poplar growth, development, and stress adaptation, and offered candidate genes for molecular breeding in forest trees.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/2017m6Agenome-wide analysisgene familyNL895Cd stress
spellingShingle Zeyu Li
Rongxia Liu
Mingqiang Zhu
Jinye Zhang
Zhoujin Li
Kaixin Huang
Zehua Ren
Yan Zhao
Keming Luo
Qin Song
Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of m6A-Related Gene Family in Poplar Nanlin895
Plants
m6A
genome-wide analysis
gene family
NL895
Cd stress
title Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of m6A-Related Gene Family in Poplar Nanlin895
title_full Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of m6A-Related Gene Family in Poplar Nanlin895
title_fullStr Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of m6A-Related Gene Family in Poplar Nanlin895
title_full_unstemmed Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of m6A-Related Gene Family in Poplar Nanlin895
title_short Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of m6A-Related Gene Family in Poplar Nanlin895
title_sort genome wide identification and evolutionary analysis of m6a related gene family in poplar nanlin895
topic m6A
genome-wide analysis
gene family
NL895
Cd stress
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/2017
work_keys_str_mv AT zeyuli genomewideidentificationandevolutionaryanalysisofm6arelatedgenefamilyinpoplarnanlin895
AT rongxialiu genomewideidentificationandevolutionaryanalysisofm6arelatedgenefamilyinpoplarnanlin895
AT mingqiangzhu genomewideidentificationandevolutionaryanalysisofm6arelatedgenefamilyinpoplarnanlin895
AT jinyezhang genomewideidentificationandevolutionaryanalysisofm6arelatedgenefamilyinpoplarnanlin895
AT zhoujinli genomewideidentificationandevolutionaryanalysisofm6arelatedgenefamilyinpoplarnanlin895
AT kaixinhuang genomewideidentificationandevolutionaryanalysisofm6arelatedgenefamilyinpoplarnanlin895
AT zehuaren genomewideidentificationandevolutionaryanalysisofm6arelatedgenefamilyinpoplarnanlin895
AT yanzhao genomewideidentificationandevolutionaryanalysisofm6arelatedgenefamilyinpoplarnanlin895
AT kemingluo genomewideidentificationandevolutionaryanalysisofm6arelatedgenefamilyinpoplarnanlin895
AT qinsong genomewideidentificationandevolutionaryanalysisofm6arelatedgenefamilyinpoplarnanlin895