AUTHOR=Tang Jun , Yang Junbo , Duan Hongchao , Jia Guifang 

TITLE=ALKBH10B, an mRNA m6A Demethylase, Modulates ABA Response During Seed Germination in Arabidopsis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.712713

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2021.712713

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>As the most abundant and reversible chemical modification in eukaryotic mRNA, the epitranscriptomic mark <italic>N</italic><sup>6</sup>-methyladenine (m<sup>6</sup>A) regulates plant development and stress response. We have previously characterized that ALKBH10B is an Arabidopsis mRNA m<sup>6</sup>A demethylase and regulates floral transition. However, it is unclear whether ALKBH10B plays a role in abiotic stress response. Here, we found that the expression of <italic>ALKBH10B</italic> is increased in response to abscisic acid (ABA), osmotic, and salt stress. The <italic>alkbh10b</italic> mutants showed hypersensitive to ABA, osmotic, and salt stress during seed germination. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression of several ABA response genes is upregulated in <italic>alkbh10b-1</italic> than that of wild type, indicating ALKBH10B negatively affects the ABA signaling. Furthermore, m<sup>6</sup>A sequencing showed that ABA signaling genes, including <italic>PYR1</italic>, <italic>PYL7</italic>, <italic>PYL9</italic>, <italic>ABI1</italic>, and <italic>SnRK2.2</italic> are m<sup>6</sup>A hypermethylated in <italic>alkbh10b-1</italic> after ABA treatment. Taken together, our work demonstrated that ALKBH10B negatively modulates ABA response during seed germination in Arabidopsis.</p>