The m 6 A reader SlYTH2 negatively regulates tomato fruit aroma by impeding the translation process

Abstract

N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) is a fundamentally important RNA modification for gene regulation, whose function is achieved through m 6 A readers. However, whether and how m 6 A readers play regulatory roles during fruit ripening and quality formation remains unclear. Here, we characterized SlYTH2 as a tomato m 6 A reader protein and profiled the binding sites of SlYTH2 at the transcriptome-wide level. SlYTH2 undergoes liquid–liquid phase separation and promotes RNA–protein condensate formation. The target mRNAs of SlYTH2, namely m 6 A-modified SlHPL and SlCCD1B associated with volatile synthesis, are enriched in SlYTH2-induced condensates. Through polysome profiling assays and proteomic analysis, we demonstrate that knockout of SlYTH2 expedites the translation process of SlHPL and SlCCD1B , resulting in augmented production of aroma-associated volatiles. This aroma enrichment significantly increased consumer preferences for CRISPR-edited fruit over wild type. These findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms of m 6 A in plant RNA metabolism and provided a promising strategy to generate fruits that are more attractive to consumers.