• N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) RNA modification is the most prevalent messenger RNA (mRNA) modification in eukaryotes and plays critical roles in the regulation of gene expression. m⁶A is a reversible RNA modification that is deposited by methyltransferases (writers) and removed by demethylases (erasers). The function of m⁶A erasers in plants is highly diversified and their roles in cereal crops, especially in reproductive development essential for crop yield, are largely unknown.
• Here, we demonstrate that rice OsALKBH5 acts as an m⁶A demethylase required for the normal progression of male meiosis.
• OsALKBH5 is a nucleo-cytoplasmic protein, highly enriched in rice anthers during meiosis, that associates with P-bodies and exon junction complexes, suggesting that it is involved in regulating mRNA processing and abundance. Mutations of OsALKBH5 cause reduced double-strand break (DSB) formation, severe defects in DSB repair, and delayed meiotic progression, leading to complete male sterility. Transcriptome analysis and m⁶A profiling indicate that OsALKBH5-mediated m⁶A demethylation stabilizes the mRNA level of multiple meiotic genes directly or indirectly, including several genes that regulate DSB formation and repair.
• Our study reveals the indispensable role of m⁶A metabolism in post-transcriptional regulation of meiotic progression in rice.

中文翻译：

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m6A 去甲基酶 OsALKBH5 通过影响水稻减数分裂中 mRNA 的稳定性来形成和修复双链断裂

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  N ⁶ -甲基腺苷 (m ⁶ A) RNA 修饰是真核生物中最常见的信使 RNA (mRNA) 修饰，在基因表达调控中发挥着关键作用。 m ⁶ A 是一种可逆的 RNA 修饰，由甲基转移酶（写入酶）沉积并由去甲基酶（擦除酶）去除。 m ⁶ A擦除器在植物中的功能高度多样化，并且它们在谷类作物中的作用，特别是在对作物产量至关重要的生殖发育中的作用，很大程度上是未知的。
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  在这里，我们证明水稻 OsALKBH5 充当雄性减数分裂正常进展所需的 m ⁶ A 去甲基酶。
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  OsALKBH5 是一种核胞质蛋白，在减数分裂过程中在水稻花药中高度富集，与 P 体和外显子连接复合物相关，表明它参与调节 mRNA 加工和丰度。 OsALKBH5突变会导致双链断裂 (DSB) 形成减少、DSB 修复严重缺陷以及减数分裂进程延迟，从而导致完全雄性不育。转录组分析和 m ⁶ A 分析表明 OsALKBH5 介导的 m ⁶ A 去甲基化直接或间接稳定了多个减数分裂基因的 mRNA 水平，包括调节 DSB 形成和修复的几个基因。
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  我们的研究揭示了 m ⁶ A 代谢在水稻减数分裂进程的转录后调控中不可或缺的作用。