The stability of m6A-marked transcripts is linked to cell identity in planarians.

m6A modification differentially stabilizes transcripts in planarians, with 72,200 sites influencing cell identity by promoting stability in neoblasts and destabilization in differentiated cells.

• Why it matters: Understanding m6A's role in transcript regulation is vital because it impacts cell fate and regeneration, especially in organisms like planarians with high regenerative capacity, yet mechanisms remain unclear.
• What they did: The study mapped m6A sites using multiplexed direct RNA sequencing, revealing their distribution near stop codons and their regulation of transcript stability through knockdown experiments affecting cell-specific gene expression.
• The result: Findings demonstrate that m6A stabilizes transcripts in stem cells and promotes decay in differentiated cells, highlighting its key role in maintaining cell identity and regenerative processes in planarians.