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The Role of Melatonin in Plants 2.0

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2024) | Viewed by 9476

Special Issue Editor

Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Department of Plant Ecophysiology, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
Interests: melatonin role in plants; abiotic environmental stresses; plant physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is the second volume of our previous Special Issue "The Role of Melatonin in Plants". Since its discovery in 1958, melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) has functioned in the scientific consciousness, for a long time (about 40 years), only as an animal hormone. In autotrophic microorganisms, melatonin was first described in 1991, and in 1995, it was detected in higher plants. Since then, this indoleamine has been investigated in numerous plant species and varieties in vivo, and also their organs, tissues, and cells cultivated in vitro. For 30 years, phytomelatonin has drawn great attention from plant physiologists for its wide distribution and multiple roles in various plant species. It is known that melatonin is an important modulator of plant development—it has an influence on seed germination, root formation and their architecture, seasonal and circadian rhythms, flowering time and fruit ripening, and leaf functioning (photosynthesis) and senescence. As amphiphilic, universal, very effective direct and indirect antioxidants, melatonin affects the plant cell redox status, and in this way, it interferes with a network of different signalling pathways. Moreover, melatonin is also involved in plant immunity and increases plant tolerance to various abiotic stresses. Melatonin biosynthesis depends on environmental conditions and naturally increases under stress, so the application of exogenous melatonin as a plant biostimulant may be a good strategy for the improvement of yields in the face of climate change.

This Special Issue will focus on expanding knowledge concerning the synthesis, distribution, and metabolism of plant melatonin (phytomelatonin), its multiple complex functions in plants and mechanisms of plant metabolism regulation, and the exogenous melatonin application methods improving the development of crop plants, especially under different stress conditions.

Prof. Dr. Małgorzata M. Posmyk
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3568 KiB  
Article
Influence of N-Acetylglucosamine and Melatonin Interaction in Modeling the Photosynthetic Component and Metabolomics of Cucumber under Salinity Stress
by Sang-Mo Kang, Arjun Adhikari, Eun-Hae Kwon, Ho-Jun Gam, Jin Ryeol Jeon, Ji-In Woo and In-Jung Lee
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(5), 2844; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25052844 - 29 Feb 2024
Viewed by 410
Abstract
The application of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and melatonin (Mel) in agriculture could be a promising avenue for improving crop resilience and productivity, especially under challenging environmental conditions. In the current study, we treated the cucumber plant with GlcNAc and Mel solely and combinedly under [...] Read more.
The application of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and melatonin (Mel) in agriculture could be a promising avenue for improving crop resilience and productivity, especially under challenging environmental conditions. In the current study, we treated the cucumber plant with GlcNAc and Mel solely and combinedly under salt stress (150 mM) then studied photosynthetic attributes using the transient OJIP fluorescence method. The results showed that the combination of GlcNAc × Mel significantly improved the plant morphological attributes, such as root and shoot biomass, and also improved chlorophyll and photosynthetic components. The mineral elements such as K, Mg, Ca, and P were significantly elevated, whereas a lower influx of Na was observed in GlcNAc × Mel treated cucumber shoots. A significant reduction in abscisic acid was observed, which was validated by the reduction in proline content and the increase in stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (E), and substomatal CO2 concentration (Ci). Furthermore, the activities of antioxidants such as polyphenol and flavonoid were considerably improved, resulting in a decrease in SOD and CAT with GlcNAc × Mel treatment. In addition, GlcNAc × Mel treatment dropped levels of the toxic radical Malondialdehyde (MDA) and elevated amino acids in cucumber shoots. These findings suggest that the combination of GlcNAc × Mel could be an effective elicitor for modeling plant metabolism to confer stress tolerance in crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Melatonin in Plants 2.0)
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19 pages, 2412 KiB  
Article
Dynamics of Humic Acid, Silicon, and Biochar under Heavy Metal, Drought, and Salinity with Special Reference to Phytohormones, Antioxidants, and Melatonin Synthesis in Rice
by Arjun Adhikari, Appiah Gregory Aneefi, Hairkham Sisuvanh, Santivong Singkham, Masele Valentine Pius, Farida Akter, Eun-Hae Kwon, Sang-Mo Kang, Youn-Ji Woo, Byung-Wook Yun and In-Jung Lee
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(24), 17369; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242417369 - 11 Dec 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1116
Abstract
This study aimed to develop a biostimulant formulation using humic acid (HA), silicon, and biochar alone or in combination to alleviate the lethality induced by combined heavy metals (HM-C; As, Cd, and Pb), drought stress (DS; 30–40% soil moisture), and salt stress (SS; [...] Read more.
This study aimed to develop a biostimulant formulation using humic acid (HA), silicon, and biochar alone or in combination to alleviate the lethality induced by combined heavy metals (HM-C; As, Cd, and Pb), drought stress (DS; 30–40% soil moisture), and salt stress (SS; 150 mM NaCl) in rice. The results showed that HA, Si, and biochar application alone or in combination improved plant growth under normal, DS, and SS conditions significantly. However, HA increased the lethality of rice by increasing the As, Cd, and Pb uptake significantly, thereby elevating lipid peroxidation. Co-application reduced abscisic acid, elevated salicylic acid, and optimized the Ca2+ and Si uptake. This subsequently elevated the K+/Na+ influx and efflux by regulating the metal ion regulators (Si: Lsi1 and Lsi2; K+/Na+: OsNHX1) and increased the expressions of the stress-response genes OsMTP1 and OsNramp in the rice shoots. Melatonin synthesis was significantly elevated by HM-C (130%), which was reduced by 50% with the HA + Si + biochar treatment. However, in the SS- and DS-induced crops, the melatonin content showed only minor differences. These findings suggest that the biostimulant formulation could be used to mitigate SS and DS, and precautions should be taken when using HA for heavy metal detoxification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Melatonin in Plants 2.0)
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20 pages, 3592 KiB  
Article
Synergistic Effect of Melatonin and Lysinibacillus fusiformis L. (PLT16) to Mitigate Drought Stress via Regulation of Hormonal, Antioxidants System, and Physio-Molecular Responses in Soybean Plants
by Muhammad Imran, Clems Luzolo Mpovo, Muhammad Aaqil Khan, Shifa Shaffique, Daniel Ninson, Saqib Bilal, Murtaza Khan, Eun-Hae Kwon, Sang-Mo Kang, Byung-Wook Yun and In-Jung Lee
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(10), 8489; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24108489 - 09 May 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1821
Abstract
Drought is one of the most detrimental factors that causes significant effects on crop development and yield. However, the negative effects of drought stress may be alleviated with the aid of exogenous melatonin (MET) and the use of plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). The present [...] Read more.
Drought is one of the most detrimental factors that causes significant effects on crop development and yield. However, the negative effects of drought stress may be alleviated with the aid of exogenous melatonin (MET) and the use of plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). The present investigation aimed to validate the effects of co-inoculation of MET and Lysinibacillus fusiformis on hormonal, antioxidant, and physio-molecular regulation in soybean plants to reduce the effects of drought stress. Therefore, ten randomly selected isolates were subjected to various plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) traits and a polyethylene-glycol (PEG)-resistance test. Among these, PLT16 tested positive for the production of exopolysaccharide (EPS), siderophore, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), along with higher PEG tolerance, in vitro IAA, and organic-acid production. Therefore, PLT16 was further used in combination with MET to visualize the role in drought-stress mitigation in soybean plant. Furthermore, drought stress significantly damages photosynthesis, enhances ROS production, and reduces water stats, hormonal signaling and antioxidant enzymes, and plant growth and development. However, the co-application of MET and PLT16 enhanced plant growth and development and improved photosynthesis pigments (chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids) under both normal conditions and drought stress. This may be because hydrogen-peroxide (H2O2), superoxide-anion (O2−), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were reduced and antioxidant activities were enhanced to maintain redox homeostasis and reduce the abscisic-acid (ABA) level and its biosynthesis gene NCED3 while improving the synthesis of jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) to mitigate drought stress and balance the stomata activity to maintain the relative water states. This may be possible due to a significant increase in endo-melatonin content, regulation of organic acids, and enhancement of nutrient uptake (calcium, potassium, and magnesium) by co-inoculated PLT16 and MET under normal conditions and drought stress. In addition, co-inoculated PLT16 and MET modulated the relative expression of DREB2 and TFs bZIP while enhancing the expression level of ERD1 under drought stress. In conclusion, the current study found that the combined application of melatonin and Lysinibacillus fusiformis inoculation increased plant growth and could be used to regulate plant function during drought stress as an eco-friendly and low-cost approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Melatonin in Plants 2.0)
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21 pages, 15116 KiB  
Article
Morphological and Physiological Mechanisms of Melatonin on Delaying Drought-Induced Leaf Senescence in Cotton
by Kai Yang, Hongchun Sun, Mengxing Liu, Lingxiao Zhu, Ke Zhang, Yongjiang Zhang, Anchang Li, Haina Zhang, Jijie Zhu, Xiaoqing Liu, Zhiying Bai, Liantao Liu and Cundong Li
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 7269; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087269 - 14 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1474
Abstract
Leaf senescence reduces the photosynthetic capacity of leaves, thus significantly affecting the growth, development, and yield formation of cotton. Melatonin (MT) is a multipotent substance proven to delay leaf senescence. However, its potential mechanism in delaying leaf senescence induced by abiotic stress remains [...] Read more.
Leaf senescence reduces the photosynthetic capacity of leaves, thus significantly affecting the growth, development, and yield formation of cotton. Melatonin (MT) is a multipotent substance proven to delay leaf senescence. However, its potential mechanism in delaying leaf senescence induced by abiotic stress remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the effect of MT on delaying drought-induced leaf senescence in cotton seedlings and to clarify its morphological and physiological mechanisms. Drought stress upregulated the leaf senescence marker genes, destroyed the photosystem, and led to excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS, e.g., H2O2 and O2), thus accelerating leaf senescence. However, leaf senescence was significantly delayed when 100 μM MT was sprayed on the leaves of the cotton seedlings. The delay was embodied by the increased chlorophyll content, photosynthetic capacity, and antioxidant enzyme activities, as well as decreased H2O2, O2, and abscisic acid (ABA) contents by 34.44%, 37.68%, and 29.32%, respectively. MT significantly down-regulated chlorophyll degradation-related genes and senescence marker genes (GhNAC12 and GhWRKY27/71). In addition, MT reduced the chloroplast damage caused by drought-induced leaf senescence and maintained the integrity of the chloroplast lamellae structure under drought stress. The findings of this study collectively suggest that MT can effectively enhance the antioxidant enzyme system, improve photosynthetic efficiency, reduce chlorophyll degradation and ROS accumulation, and inhibit ABA synthesis, thereby delaying drought-induced leaf senescence in cotton. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Melatonin in Plants 2.0)
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19 pages, 4540 KiB  
Article
Melatonin Alleviates Chromium Toxicity in Maize by Modulation of Cell Wall Polysaccharides Biosynthesis, Glutathione Metabolism, and Antioxidant Capacity
by Xiaoxiao Yang, Jianhong Ren, Xinyue Lin, Zhenping Yang, Xiping Deng and Qingbo Ke
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 3816; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043816 - 14 Feb 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1746
Abstract
Melatonin, a pleiotropic regulatory molecule, is involved in the defense against heavy metal stress. Here, we used a combined transcriptomic and physiological approach to investigate the underlying mechanism of melatonin in mitigating chromium (Cr) toxicity in Zea mays L. Maize plants were treated [...] Read more.
Melatonin, a pleiotropic regulatory molecule, is involved in the defense against heavy metal stress. Here, we used a combined transcriptomic and physiological approach to investigate the underlying mechanism of melatonin in mitigating chromium (Cr) toxicity in Zea mays L. Maize plants were treated with either melatonin (10, 25, 50 and 100 μM) or water and exposed to 100 μM K2Cr2O7 for seven days. We showed that melatonin treatment significantly decreased the Cr content in leaves. However, the Cr content in the roots was not affected by melatonin. Analyses of RNA sequencing, enzyme activities, and metabolite contents showed that melatonin affected cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis, glutathione (GSH) metabolism, and redox homeostasis. During Cr stress, melatonin treatment increased cell wall polysaccharide contents, thereby retaining more Cr in the cell wall. Meanwhile, melatonin improved the GSH and phytochelatin contents to chelate Cr, and the chelated complexes were then transported to the vacuoles for sequestration. Furthermore, melatonin mitigated Cr-induced oxidative stress by enhancing the capacity of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Moreover, melatonin biosynthesis-defective mutants exhibited decreased Cr stress resistance, which was related to lower pectin, hemicellulose 1, and hemicellulose 2 than wild-type plants. These results suggest that melatonin alleviates Cr toxicity in maize by promoting Cr sequestration, re-establishing redox homeostasis, and inhibiting Cr transport from the root to the shoot. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Melatonin in Plants 2.0)
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Review

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15 pages, 2003 KiB  
Review
Have All of the Phytohormonal Properties of Melatonin Been Verified?
by Woong June Park
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(6), 3550; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25063550 - 21 Mar 2024
Viewed by 300
Abstract
Melatonin is a ubiquitous regulator in plants and performs a variety of physiological roles, including resistance to abiotic stress, regulation of growth and development, and enhancement of plant immunity. Melatonin exhibits the characteristics of a phytohormone with its pleiotropic effects, biosynthesis, conjugation, catabolism, [...] Read more.
Melatonin is a ubiquitous regulator in plants and performs a variety of physiological roles, including resistance to abiotic stress, regulation of growth and development, and enhancement of plant immunity. Melatonin exhibits the characteristics of a phytohormone with its pleiotropic effects, biosynthesis, conjugation, catabolism, effective concentration, and the shape and location of its dose–response curves. In addition, CAND2/PMTR1, a phytomelatonin receptor candidate belonging to the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), supports the concept of melatonin as a phytohormone. However, the biochemistry of plant melatonin receptors needs to be further characterized. In particular, some of the experimental findings to date cannot be explained by known GPCR signaling mechanisms, so further studies are needed to explore the possibility of novel signaling mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Melatonin in Plants 2.0)
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14 pages, 2244 KiB  
Review
Melatonin Role in Plant Growth and Physiology under Abiotic Stress
by Irshad Ahmad, Guanglong Zhu, Guisheng Zhou, Jiao Liu, Muhammad Usama Younas and Yiming Zhu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(10), 8759; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24108759 - 15 May 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1805
Abstract
Phyto-melatonin improves crop yield by mitigating the negative effects of abiotic stresses on plant growth. Numerous studies are currently being conducted to investigate the significant performance of melatonin in crops in regulating agricultural growth and productivity. However, a comprehensive review of the pivotal [...] Read more.
Phyto-melatonin improves crop yield by mitigating the negative effects of abiotic stresses on plant growth. Numerous studies are currently being conducted to investigate the significant performance of melatonin in crops in regulating agricultural growth and productivity. However, a comprehensive review of the pivotal performance of phyto-melatonin in regulating plant morpho-physiological and biochemical activities under abiotic stresses needs to be clarified. This review focused on the research on morpho-physiological activities, plant growth regulation, redox status, and signal transduction in plants under abiotic stresses. Furthermore, it also highlighted the role of phyto-melatonin in plant defense systems and as biostimulants under abiotic stress conditions. The study revealed that phyto-melatonin enhances some leaf senescence proteins, and that protein further interacts with the plant’s photosynthesis activity, macromolecules, and changes in redox and response to abiotic stress. Our goal is to thoroughly evaluate phyto-melatonin performance under abiotic stress, which will help us better understand the mechanism by which phyto-melatonin regulates crop growth and yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Melatonin in Plants 2.0)
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