m(6)A‐mediated regulation of crop development and stress responses

Dynamic chemical modifications in eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) constitute an essential layer of gene regulation, among which N(6)‐methyladenosine (m(6)A) was unveiled to be the most abundant. m(6)A functionally modulates important biological processes in various mammals and plants through the regulation of mRNA metabolism, mainly mRNA degradation and translation efficiency. Physiological functions of m(6)A methylation are diversified and affected by intricate sequence contexts and m(6)A machineries. A number of studies have dissected the functional roles and the underlying mechanisms of m(6)A modifications in regulating plant development and stress responses. Recently, it was demonstrated that the human FTO‐mediated plant m(6)A removal caused dramatic yield increases in rice and potato, indicating that modulation of m(6)A methylation could be an efficient strategy for crop improvement. In this review, we summarize the current progress concerning the m(6)A‐mediated regulation of crop development and stress responses, and provide an outlook on the potential application of m(6)A epitranscriptome in the future improvement of crops.