Molecular mechanisms and crop improvement potential of RNA N^(6)-methyladenosine in plantsOA

N^(6)-methyladenosine(m^(6)A)is the most prevalent internal modification in eukaryotic mRNAs and contributes to the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression.In plants,m^(6)A modulates RNA splicing,stability,and translation,thereby influencing developmental processes and responses to environmental stimuli.This review systematically examines current advances in the understanding of m^(6)A regulation in plants.We begin with an overview of the m^(6)A modification and its associated regulatory machinery,including the writers(methyltransferases),erasers(demethylases),and readers(m^(6)A-binding proteins)components,and discuss their roles in orchestrating RNA metabolism and determining plant phenotypes.Subsequent sections focus on the functional implications of m^(6)A in economically important crops,with evidence drawn from model systems such as Arabidopsis thaliana and key species including rice(Oryza sativa),tomato(Solanum lycopersicum),and strawberry(Fragaria vesca),where m^(6)A modifications have been linked to traits such as yield,maturation,and aroma.Finally,we explore emerging biotechnological strategies that harness m^(6)A-mediated regulatory pathways to enhance crop quality,such as overexpression of human FTO encoding an m^(6)A demethylase,quantitative m^(6)A profiling at single-base resolution,CRISPR/Cas13-targeted m^(6)A regulation,the application of small-molecule inhibitors,and m^(6)A-driven multi-omics integration.These strategies provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the multifaceted roles of m^(6)A in plant biology and underscore the potential of this modification as a target for next-generation crop improvement.