Figure 5.

PhTRMT61A is a methyltransferase for m¹A in mRNA, and silencing PhTRMT61A causes phenotypic alterations. A, Dot blot analysis of total RNA nucleosides from petunia ‘Ultra’ corollas incubated with or without the recombinant PhTRMT61A protein. B and C, Dot blotting analysis of total RNA (B) and mRNA (C) nucleosides from the corollas of pTRV2- and pTRV2-PhTRMT61A-treated plants. D and E, Five-week-old VIGS-mediated PhTRMT61A-silenced plants (right) compared to control plants (left). The plants were digitally extracted for comparison. F, Leaves of PhTRMT61A-silenced plants (bottom) compared with those of control plants (top). The leaves were digitally extracted for comparison. G, Effects of PhTRMT61A silencing on the contents of total chlorophyll and carotenoids in young leaves (2 cm). H to K, Scanning electron micrographs of adaxial (H and I) and abaxial (J and K) epidermal cells of leaves of PhTRMT61A-silenced plants (I and K) compared with those of control plants (J and K). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan's NMRT with three biological replicates. Asterisks indicate significant differences at the P = 0.05 level and data are presented as the means ± sd (A–C and G). Scale bars = 3.0 cm (D), 0.5 cm (E), 1.3 cm (F), and 40 μm (H–K).