m(6)A RNA methylation impairs gene expression variability and reproductive thermotolerance in Arabidopsis

Heat-imposed crop failure is often attributed to reduced thermotolerance of floral tissues; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that m(6)A RNA methylation increases in Arabidopsis flowers and negatively regulates gene expression variability. Stochastic gene expression provides flexibility to cope with environmental stresses. We find that reduced transcriptional fluctuation is associated with compromised activation of heat-responsive genes. Moreover, disruption of an RNA demethylase AtALKBH10B leads to lower gene expression variability, suppression of heat-activated genes, and strong reduction of plant fertility. Our work proposes a novel role for RNA methylation in the bet-hedging strategy of heat stress response. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13059-022-02814-8.