Abstract
N 6-methyladenosine (m6A), a critical epitranscriptomic modification, regulates RNA metabolism and antiviral defenses. However, how pathogens evade m6A-mediated RNA decay in plants remains poorly understood. Here, we uncover a dynamic m6A modification arms race during infection of sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), a prevalent potyvirus that infects maize and causes 20%-80% yield loss. We demonstrate that maize m6A methyltransferase (ZmMTA) specifically deposits m6A at A6556 of the SCMV genomic RNA, enabling recognition by the m6A reader EVOLUTIONARILY CONSERVED C-TERMINAL REGION 23 (ZmECT23). ZmECT23 directly recruits the ZmCCR4-NOT (carbon catabolite repressor 4-negative on TATA) complex to facilitate viral RNA decay. Strikingly, SCMV counters the defense via its nuclear inclusion protein a protease (NIa-Pro), which hijacks maize eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-III (ZmeIF4A3) into viral replication complexes. ZmeIF4A3 sterically blocks ZmMTA-mediated m6A deposition, thereby preventing viral RNA from degradation. Mechanistic conservation is observed in potato virus Y and turnip mosaic virus, two other potyviruses that are modified with m6A. Our study identifies eIF4A3 as a key m6A regulator in plants and reveals a strategy used by potyviruses to subvert m6A-based immunity via exploiting host RNA helicases. These findings provide mechanistic insights into host-pathogen interactions as mediated by m6A and suggest eIF4A3 as a potential target for engineering m6A-based antiviral crops.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Maize ZmMTA deposits m6A at A6556 of the SCMV genomic RNA.
- Interactor
- sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV)
Sugarcane mosaic viruse0pathogen - Gene
- ZmMTAe1
- Outcome
- m6A at A6556 of the SCMV genomic RNAe1
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), a prevalent potyvirus that infects maize”
e1“We demonstrate that maize m6A methyltransferase (ZmMTA) specifically deposits m6A at A6556 of the SCMV genomic RNA”
Claim · model-written summary
ZmECT23 directly recruits the ZmCCR4-NOT complex to facilitate viral RNA decay.
- Interactor
- SCMVSugarcane mosaic viruse0pathogen
- Gene
- ZmECT23e2
- Outcome
- viral RNA decaye2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), a prevalent potyvirus that infects maize”
e2“ZmECT23 directly recruits the ZmCCR4-NOT (carbon catabolite repressor 4-negative on TATA) complex to facilitate viral RNA decay”
Claim · model-written summary
SCMV NIa-Pro hijacks maize ZmeIF4A3 into viral replication complexes.
- Interactor
- SCMVSugarcane mosaic viruse3pathogen
- Gene
- ZmeIF4A3e3
- Outcome
- into viral replication complexese3
- Qualifier
- nuclear inclusion protein a protease (NIa-Pro)e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), a prevalent potyvirus that infects maize”
e3“SCMV counters the defense via its nuclear inclusion protein a protease (NIa-Pro), which hijacks maize eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-III (ZmeIF4A3) into viral replication complexes”
Claim · model-written summary
ZmeIF4A3 sterically blocks ZmMTA-mediated m6A deposition, preventing viral RNA degradation.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), a prevalent potyvirus that infects maize”
e4“ZmeIF4A3 sterically blocks ZmMTA-mediated m6A deposition, thereby preventing viral RNA from degradation”
Claim · model-written summary
Mechanistic conservation is observed in potato virus Y and turnip mosaic virus.
- Interactor
- potato virus Y
Potato virus Ye5pathogen - Second interactor
- turnip mosaic virus
Turnip mosaic viruse5pathogen - Outcome
- Mechanistic conservatione5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), a prevalent potyvirus that infects maize”
e5“Mechanistic conservation is observed in potato virus Y and turnip mosaic virus, two other potyviruses that are modified with m6A”
Claim · model-written summary
eIF4A3 is identified as a key m6A regulator in plants.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee6
- Gene
- eIF4A3e6
- Outcome
- key m6A regulatore6
Verbatim
e6“Our study identifies eIF4A3 as a key m6A regulator in plants”
Claim · model-written summary
eIF4A3 is suggested as a potential target for engineering m6A-based antiviral crops.
Verbatim
e7“suggest eIF4A3 as a potential target for engineering m6A-based antiviral crops”