Research Progress and Regulatory Role of Long Non-coding RNAs Associated with N6-methyladenosine Modification in Important Economic Traits of Poultry

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common and abundant internal chemical modification in eukaryotic mRNA and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). This dynamic and reversible epitranscriptional modification is mediated by a collaborative action of methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and recognition proteins (readers) and represents an important epigenetic regulatory mechanism at the post-transcriptional level. LncRNAs are a class of RNA molecules that are longer than 200 nucleotides and lack the potential to encode proteins. They can participate in the fine regulation of gene expression at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and epigenetic levels through various mechanisms such as cis-regulation and trans-regulation. In recent years, the interactive regulation of m6A modification and lncRNA has become a research hotspot. The precise regulatory network jointly constructed by these two elements plays a core role in the formation and plasticity regulation of complex traits in animals. This article systematically elaborates on the regulatory roles and research progress of m6A modification-related lncRNAs in important economic traits such as muscle development, fat deposition, and immune response in poultry. In response to the current issues of insufficient functional validation and insufficient mechanism elucidation, it proposes that future research should integrate multi-omics combined analysis, temporal and spatial dynamic analysis, cross-species comparative studies, and gene editing methods to systematically clarify their intrinsic regulatory mechanisms. This will open up a new path for molecular design breeding of poultry for disease resistance, high yield, high quality, and high efficiency, and is of great significance for promoting genetic improvement of poultry and the sustainable development of the industry.