Profiling of RNA N(6)-Methyladenosine Methylation Reveals the Critical Role of m(6)A in Chicken Adipose Deposition

One of the main objectives of broiler breeding is to prevent excessive abdominal adipose deposition. The role of RNA modification in adipose deposition is not clear. This study was aimed to map m(6)A modification landscape in chicken adipose tissue. MeRIP-seq was performed to compare the differences in m(6)A methylation pattern between fat and lean broilers. We found that start codons, stop codons, coding regions, and 3′-untranslated regions were generally enriched for m(6)A peaks. The high m(6)A methylated genes (fat birds vs. lean birds) were primarily associated with fatty acid biosynthesis and fatty acid metabolism, while the low m(6)A methylated genes were mainly involved in processes associated with development. Furthermore, we found that the mRNA levels of many genes may be regulated by m(6)A modification. This is the first comprehensive characterization of m(6)A patterns in the chicken adipose transcriptome, and provides a basis for studying the role of m(6)A modification in fat deposition.