2. Academic Validation
  3. RNA m6A Modification Functions in Larval Development and Caste Differentiation in Honeybee (Apis mellifera)

RNA m6A Modification Functions in Larval Development and Caste Differentiation in Honeybee (Apis mellifera)

  • Cell Rep. 2021 Jan 5;34(1):108580. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108580.
Miao Wang 1,  Yu Xiao 2,  Yan Li 3,  Xiaoying Wang 1,  Suzhen Qi 1,  Ye Wang 2,  Liuwei Zhao 1,  Kai Wang 1,  Wenjun Peng 1,  Guan-Zheng Luo 4,  Xiaofeng Xue 5,  Guifang Jia 6,  Liming Wu 7
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 100093 Beijing, China.
  • 2 Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China.
  • 3 MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, China.
  • 4 MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 5 Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 100093 Beijing, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 6 Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 7 Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 100093 Beijing, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 33406439 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108580
Abstract

Genetically identical female honeybee larvae with different diets develop into sterile workers or fertile queens. It remains unknown whether the reversible RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) mark functionally impact this "caste differentiation." Here, we profile the transcriptome-wide m6A methylome of honeybee queen and worker larvae at three instar stages and discover that m6A methylation dynamics are altered by differential feeding. Multiple methylome comparisons show an obvious increase in m6A marks during larval development and reveal a negative correlation between gene expression and m6A methylation. Notably, we find that worker larvae contain more hypermethylated m6A peaks than do queen larvae, and many caste-differentiation-related transcripts are differentially methylated. Chemical suppression of m6A methylation in worker larvae by 3-deazaadenosine (DAA) reduces overall m6A methylation levels and triggers worker larvae to develop queen caste features. Thus, our study demonstrates that m6A functionally impacts caste differentiation and larval development, yet it does not exclude potential contributions from other factors.

Keywords

N(6)-methyladenosine (m(6)A); caste differentiation; epi-transcriptomics; honeybee; larvae development; social insect.

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