Dynamic m6A Modification Landscape During the Egg Laying Process of Chickens

Zhang, Yushi; Chen, Yida; Ji, Haigang; Niu, Yufang; He, Liyang; Wang, Wentao; Yu, Tong; Han, Ruili; Tian, Yadong; Liu, Xiaojun; Kang, Xiangtao; Cai, Hanfang; Li, Zhuanjian

doi:10.3390/ijms26041677

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic m⁶A Modification Landscape During the Egg Laying Process of Chickens

by

Yushi Zhang

^1,†,

Yida Chen

^1,†,

Haigang Ji

¹,

Yufang Niu

¹,

Liyang He

¹,

Wentao Wang

¹,

Tong Yu

¹,

Ruili Han

^1,2,3,

Yadong Tian

^1,2,3,

Xiaojun Liu

^1,2,3,

Xiangtao Kang

^1,2,3

,

Hanfang Cai

^1,* and

Zhuanjian Li

^1,2,3,*

¹

College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China

²

Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Resources (Poultry) Evaluation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China

³

International Joint Research Laboratory for Poultry Breeding of Henan, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(4), 1677; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041677

Submission received: 6 January 2025 / Revised: 27 January 2025 / Accepted: 5 February 2025 / Published: 16 February 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Genetics and Breeding Mechanisms in Domestic Animals: 3rd Edition)

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Abstract

RNA N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is one of the most common and widespread reversible epigenetic modifications of mRNAs, and m⁶A has been shown to play a positive role in regulating follicular development. However, the role of RNA m⁶A methylation in chicken ovaries and egg production has not been fully studied. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the m⁶A transcriptome profiles of high- and low-yield Gushi chickens at 43 weeks of age (43 w). We found that m⁶A modification differed between the two groups. The m⁶A peak was positively correlated with the gene expression level, indicating that m⁶A may play an important role in regulating chicken egg production. In total, 9008 and 15,415 m⁶A peaks were separately identified in the two groups, including 2241 differential m⁶A peaks. In addition, seven candidate genes related to egg laying that were significantly enriched in the KEGG pathway related to ovary development and egg laying were identified. In summary, we constructed the first m⁶A modification map of ovarian tissue of Gushi chickens, and the differences in egg laying in 43 w Gushi chickens may originate from the effect of RNA methylation on the expression of egg-related genes. These findings provide new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of m⁶A methylation during egg production in Gushi chickens.

Keywords: m⁶A methylation; methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing; follicle; egg production; Gushi chicken; ovary

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, Y.; Chen, Y.; Ji, H.; Niu, Y.; He, L.; Wang, W.; Yu, T.; Han, R.; Tian, Y.; Liu, X.; et al. Dynamic m⁶A Modification Landscape During the Egg Laying Process of Chickens. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 1677. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041677

AMA Style

Zhang Y, Chen Y, Ji H, Niu Y, He L, Wang W, Yu T, Han R, Tian Y, Liu X, et al. Dynamic m⁶A Modification Landscape During the Egg Laying Process of Chickens. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(4):1677. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041677

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Yushi, Yida Chen, Haigang Ji, Yufang Niu, Liyang He, Wentao Wang, Tong Yu, Ruili Han, Yadong Tian, Xiaojun Liu, and et al. 2025. "Dynamic m⁶A Modification Landscape During the Egg Laying Process of Chickens" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26, no. 4: 1677. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041677

APA Style

Zhang, Y., Chen, Y., Ji, H., Niu, Y., He, L., Wang, W., Yu, T., Han, R., Tian, Y., Liu, X., Kang, X., Cai, H., & Li, Z. (2025). Dynamic m⁶A Modification Landscape During the Egg Laying Process of Chickens. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(4), 1677. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041677

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Dynamic m⁶A Modification Landscape During the Egg Laying Process of Chickens

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