Nanopore direct RNA sequencing maps the complexity of Arabidopsis mRNA processing and m6A modification

Understanding genome organization and gene regulation requires insight into RNA transcription, processing and modification. We adapted nanopore direct RNA sequencing to examine RNA from a wild-type accession of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and a mutant defective in mRNA methylation (m6A). Here we show that m6A can be mapped in full-length mRNAs transcriptome-wide and reveal the combinatorial diversity of cap-associated transcription start sites, splicing events, poly(A) site choice and poly(A) tail length. Loss of m6A from 3’ untranslated regions is associated with decreased relative transcript abundance and defective RNA 3′ end formation. A functional consequence of disrupted m6A is a lengthening of…

• W
  Wellcome

  Award: 097945/B/11/Z
• UO
  University of Dundee
• WT
  Wellcome Trust

  Awards: 097945, 097945/B/11/Z
• EC
  European Commission

  Award: 799300
• BA
  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

  Awards: BB/J00247X/1, BB/K018078/1, BB/M010066/1, BBS/E/T/000PR5885, BB/M004155/1, BB/M004155, BB/J00247X/1, BB/M010066/1, BB/M004155/1, BBS/E/T/000PR9819, 097945/B/11/Z, BB/H002286/1, BBS/E/T/000PR9818
• HM
  H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

  Award: 799300