Ganguly, Diep R.Li, YongfangBhat, Susheel SagarTiwari, ShaliniNg, Pei JiaGregory, Brian D.Sunkar, Ramanjulu2026-01-302026-01-300028-646XPubMed:39462792ORCID:/0000-0001-6746-0181/work/203696825https://hdl.handle.net/1885/733805063Among many mRNA modifications, adenine methylation at the N6 position (N6-methyladenosine, m6A) is known to affect mRNA biology extensively. The influence of m6A has yet to be assessed under drought, one of the most impactful abiotic stresses.  We show that Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. (Arabidopsis) plants lacking mRNA ADENOSINE METHYLASE (MTA) are drought-sensitive. Subsequently, we comprehensively assess the impacts of MTA-dependent m6A changes during drought on mRNA abundance, stability, and translation in Arabidopsis.  During drought, there is a global trend toward hypermethylation of many protein-coding transcripts that does not occur in mta. We also observe complex regulation of m6A at a transcript-specific level, possibly reflecting compensation by other m6A components. Importantly, a subset of transcripts that are hypermethylated in an MTA-dependent manner exhibited reduced turnover and translation in mta, compared with wild-type (WT) plants, during drought. Additionally, MTA impacts transcript stability and translation independently of m6A. We also correlate drought-associated deposition of m6A with increased translation of modulators of drought response, such as RD29A, COR47, COR413, ALDH2B, ERD7, and ABF4 in WT, which is impaired in mta.  m6A is dynamic during drought and, alongside MTA, promotes tolerance by regulating drought-responsive changes in transcript turnover and translation.We thank members of the BDG and RS labs, both past and present, for helpful discussions. We thank Wil Prall for critical feedback and suggestions. This work was funded by NSF grant IOS‐2023310 to BDG, IOS‐1849708 to BDG and RS, and NSF‐EPSCoR RII Track‐2 FEC‐1826836 as well as Stevens Endowed Chair to RS. We thank members of the BDG and RS labs, both past and present, for helpful discussions. We thank Wil Prall for critical feedback and suggestions. This work was funded by NSF grant IOS-2023310 to BDG, IOS-1849708 to BDG and RS, and NSF-EPSCoR RII Track-2 FEC-1826836 as well as Stevens Endowed Chair to RS.17en© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.Arabidopsis thalianadroughtmRNA ADENOSINE METHYLASEmRNA stabilityMTAN-methyladenosinetranslation2024-10-2710.1111/nph.2022785207949732