N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) is a fundamentally important RNA modification for gene regulation, whose function is achieved through m 6 A readers. However, whether and how m 6 A readers play regulatory roles during fruit ripening and quality formation remains unclear. Here, we characterized SlYTH2 as a tomato m 6 A reader protein and profiled the binding sites of SlYTH2 at the transcriptome-wide level. SlYTH2 undergoes liquid–liquid phase separation and promotes RNA–protein condensate formation. The target mRNAs of SlYTH2, namely m 6 A-modified SlHPL and SlCCD1B associated with volatile synthesis, are enriched in SlYTH2-induced condensates. Through polysome profiling assays and proteomic analysis, we demonstrate that knockout of SlYTH2 expedites the translation process of SlHPL and SlCCD1B , resulting in augmented production of aroma-associated volatiles. This aroma enrichment significantly increased consumer preferences for CRISPR-edited fruit over wild type. These findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms of m 6 A in plant RNA metabolism and provided a promising strategy to generate fruits that are more attractive to consumers.

中文翻译：

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m 6 A 阅读器 SlYTH2 通过阻碍翻译过程来负调节番茄果实香气


N 6 -甲基腺苷 (m 6 A) 是基因调控中极其重要的 RNA 修饰，其功能是通过 m 6 A 阅读器实现的。然而，m 6 A 阅读器在果实成熟和品质形成过程中是否以及如何发挥调节作用仍不清楚。在这里，我们将 SlYTH2 描述为番茄 m 6 A 阅读器蛋白，并在全转录组水平上分析了 SlYTH2 的结合位点。 SlYTH2 经历液-液相分离并促进 RNA-蛋白质凝聚物的形成。 SlYTH2的靶mRNA，即与挥发性合成相关的m 6 A修饰的SlHPL和SlCCD1B，在SlYTH2诱导的冷凝物中富集。通过多核糖体分析和蛋白质组分析，我们证明SlYTH2的敲除加速了SlHPL和SlCCD1B的翻译过程，从而增加了与香气相关的挥发物的产生。与野生型相比，这种香气的丰富显着增加了消费者对 CRISPR 编辑水果的偏好。这些发现揭示了 m 6 A 在植物 RNA 代谢中的潜在机制，并为生产对消费者更具吸引力的水果提供了一种有前景的策略。