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Figure 1. 

m⁶A modification related proteins in plants. The writers involved in m⁶A modification include MTA, MTB, VIR, FIP37, HAKAI, FIONA1, and HIZ2. The readers include ECT2, ECT3, ECT4, ECT8, ECT12, CPSF30-L, and FLK. The erasers include ALKBH2, ALKBH6, ALKBH9B, ALKBH9C, and ALKBH10B.

Figure 2. 

m⁶A modification affects the mRNA stability, splicing, and translation efficiency. In the nucleus, MTA, ALKBH10B, and ALKBH2 promote the mRNA stability, but FIONA1 inhibits the mRNA stability, and FLK recognizes the m⁶A and inhibits the interaction with SF, thereby inhibiting the pre-mRNA splicing. In cytoplasm, the reader ECT8 recognizes the m⁶A and interacts with DCP5 to promote the mRNA degradation. And m⁶A readers ECT2/3/4 redundantly recruit PAB2 and PAB4 to protect the poly(A) tail from deadenylation. In plants, a high level m⁶A inhibit ribosomes from combining with mRNA, but the m⁶A sites at 5'UTR and recognized by YTP2 will promote the mRNA translation.

Figure 3. 

m⁶A modification affects plant development. During the plant vegetative growth, m⁶A related proteins affect the embryo, root, and leaf formation. During the reproductive growth, m⁶A related proteins affect the flower and pollen development, floral transition, and fruit ripening. The plant circadian rhythm is also affected by MTA, MTB, FIP37, and FIONA1.

Figure 4. 

m⁶A modification role in responding to abiotic stresses. m⁶A related proteins influence the mRNA stability and translation efficiency, thereby responding to cold, heat, salt, and drought stress.