Liu, C.; Cheng, H.; Wang, S.; Yu, D.; Wei, Y. Physiological and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals That Melatonin Alleviates Aluminum Toxicity in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Int. J. Mol. Sci.2023, 24, 17221.
Liu, C.; Cheng, H.; Wang, S.; Yu, D.; Wei, Y. Physiological and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals That Melatonin Alleviates Aluminum Toxicity in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 17221.
Liu, C.; Cheng, H.; Wang, S.; Yu, D.; Wei, Y. Physiological and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals That Melatonin Alleviates Aluminum Toxicity in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Int. J. Mol. Sci.2023, 24, 17221.
Liu, C.; Cheng, H.; Wang, S.; Yu, D.; Wei, Y. Physiological and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals That Melatonin Alleviates Aluminum Toxicity in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 17221.
Abstract
Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the most common factor limiting the growth of alfalfa in acidic soil conditions. Melatonin (MT), a significant pleiotropic molecule present in both plants and animals, has shown promise in mitigating Al toxicity in various plant species. This study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism by which melatonin alleviates Al toxicity in alfalfa through a combined physiological and transcriptomic analysis. The results reveal that 5 μM MT significantly alleviates Al-induced growth inhibition and preserves the morphology of root tip cells. Moreover, MT application reduces Al accumulation in alfalfa roots and shoots by 28.6% and 27.6%, respectively. Additionally, MT plays a crucial role in scavenging Al-induced excess H2O2 by enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), consequently reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. The RNA-seq results reveal that MT application significantly upregulates the expression of xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTH) and carbon metabolism-related genes, including those involved in the glycolysis process, as well as sucrose and starch metabolism, suggesting that MT application may mitigate Al toxicity by facilitating the binding of Al to the cell walls, thereby reducing intracellular Al accumulation, and by improving respiration and the content of sucrose and trehalose. Taken together, our study demonstrates that MT alleviates Al toxicity in alfalfa by restoring redox homeostasis, enhancing Al binding to the cell wall, and modulating carbon metabolism. This research advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying MT's effectiveness in mitigating Al toxicity, offering potential strategies for reducing Al accumulation in alfalfa.
Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy
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