Advances in RNA m6A modification research and its role in poultry economic traits

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant and evolutionarily conserved internal epitranscriptomic modification on eukaryotic mRNA, playing pivotal roles in animal growth, development, metabolism, and immune responses by modulating mRNA splicing, stability, and translation efficiency. With advancements in technologies such as MeRIP-seq, GLORI-seq, and Nanopore direct RNA sequencing, researchers can now characterize the dynamic landscape of m6A modifications at the transcriptome-wide level. This review summarizes the fundamental features of m6A modifications, compares various detection methods and computational analytical approaches, and critically synthesizes recent progress on the roles of m6A modifications in poultry skeletal muscle development, adipose deposition, reproduction, and immunity and disease resistance. Particular emphasis is placed on the regulatory mechanisms of key enzymes, including METTL3/14, FTO, ALKBH5, and the YTHDF protein family. The potential applications, prospects and current limits of RNA m6A modification as a molecular breeding tool in poultry are also discussed.