The critical role of OsYTH10 in promoting early flowering of rice under long sunlight.

RNA m6A modification plays a crucial role in plant growth and crop yield. Proteins that can recognize m6A modifications, known as m6A reader proteins, are essential for the regulatory functions of m6A in gene expression. Among mRNA modification, methylation of internal adenosine N6 positions (m6As) is the most prevalent. The functional impact of m6A modifications largely relies on reader proteins. In this study, we identified OsYTH10, a member of the rice YTH domain family protein, as a key player for recognizing and binding to mRNA m6A modification sites. The m6A-binding activity of OsYTH10 is mediated by its YTH structural domain. Knockout mutation of OsYTH10 results in early flowering in rice. Through FA-CLIP and m6A-seq analysis, we discovered that OsYTH10 binds to m6A in the 3'UTR region of mRNA. Our findings reveal that OsYTH10 stabilizes the mRNAs of target genes OsDTH7 and OsGI, thereby regulating the normal flowering process in rice under prolonged sunlight conditions. This study sheds light on the critical role of OsYTH10 in m6A-mediated gene regulation and its impact on flowering time in rice.Key messageA crucial RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) reader protein OsYTH10 in rice was identified to physically binds mRNA's 3'UTR via its YTH domain, stabilizing OsDTH7 and OsGI transcripts to accelerate flowering under long-day conditions.