Abstract
RNA modification is crucial for the post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism that plays a pivotal role in determining RNA structure and function. Among these, N6-methyladenosine (m(6)A) represents the most abundant one in eukaryotic mRNA. In plants, m(6)A modification is catalyzed by a complex comprising multiple methyltransferase components. In this study, bioinformatic analyses were employed to characterize the genes of m(6)A methyltransferases (m(6)A writers), including their physicochemical properties, structures, cis-acting elements, chromosomal distributions, phylogenetic relationships, and predicted protein structures. Moreover, qRT-PCR and LC-MS/MS were utilized to investigate the expression patterns of m(6)A writer genes as well as the m(6)A abundance in total RNA from rice seedlings under low-temperature conditions. Additionally, m(6)A me-RIP sequencing was performed to explore changes in the m(6)A profile of mRNA in rice under cold stress. Collectively, our findings revealed the involvement in the regulation of mRNA m(6)A modification under cold stress in rice.