Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-15-2025

Comments

This article is the author's final published version in Epigenomes, Volume 9, Issue 4, October 2025, Article number 42.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/epigenomes9040042. Copyright Copyright: © 2025 by the authors.

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant and dynamic RNA modification in eukaryotic messenger and non-coding RNAs, playing a pivotal role in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. The coordinated actions of m6A writers, erasers, and readers influence transcript stability, immune activation, and pathogen suppression. Growing evidence indicates that m6A fine-tunes the expression of defense-related genes, modulates RNA processing events, and is frequently hijacked by pathogens and pests to promote virulence. Notably, the dual role of m6A in enhancing plant defense and facilitating pathogen adaptation highlights its significance in the host–pathogen arms race. This review emphasizes recent advances in our understanding of m6A-mediated epitranscriptomic regulation in plants, with a focus on its role in responses to biotic stresses, including fungi, bacteria, virus infections, insects, and nematode attacks. This regulatory layer offers novel opportunities for crop protection through targeted manipulation of the epitranscriptomic mechanism.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

PubMed ID

41133717

Language

English

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