Liu, Z.; Ren, X.; Zhu, W.; Li, Y.; Li, G.; Liu, C.; Li, D.; Shi, Y.; Wang, C.; Zhu, X.; Sun, H. Transcriptomic Analysis of Melatonin-Mediated Salt Stress Response in Germinating Alfalfa. Agriculture2024, 14, 661.
Liu, Z.; Ren, X.; Zhu, W.; Li, Y.; Li, G.; Liu, C.; Li, D.; Shi, Y.; Wang, C.; Zhu, X.; Sun, H. Transcriptomic Analysis of Melatonin-Mediated Salt Stress Response in Germinating Alfalfa. Agriculture 2024, 14, 661.
Liu, Z.; Ren, X.; Zhu, W.; Li, Y.; Li, G.; Liu, C.; Li, D.; Shi, Y.; Wang, C.; Zhu, X.; Sun, H. Transcriptomic Analysis of Melatonin-Mediated Salt Stress Response in Germinating Alfalfa. Agriculture2024, 14, 661.
Liu, Z.; Ren, X.; Zhu, W.; Li, Y.; Li, G.; Liu, C.; Li, D.; Shi, Y.; Wang, C.; Zhu, X.; Sun, H. Transcriptomic Analysis of Melatonin-Mediated Salt Stress Response in Germinating Alfalfa. Agriculture 2024, 14, 661.
Abstract
Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses that lead to crop yield reduction worldwide. Melatonin (MT), an endogenous hormone synthesized in plants, plays an important role in responding to abiotic stimuli such as drought, salinity, heat, cold, etc. However, the molecular mechanisms of MT-mediated abiotic stresses remain to be better understood. In order to explore the key genes and pathways of melatonin in alleviating salt stress, physiological and biochemical indicators as well as transcriptomics profile were conducted in alfalfa seedlings. The results showed that the germination rate, bud length and fresh weight of alfalfa seedlings added with melatonin were higher than those treated with salt alone. In addition, Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Superoxide anion (O2-) contents also displayed a decreasing trend. The activity and content of Superoxide dismutase (SOD)、peroxidase (POD) and Glutathione (GSH) increased to varying degrees. In order to further reveal the molecular mechanism of MT-mediated salt tolerance of alfalfa, transcriptome analysis was performed on alfalfa seedlings. 2,181 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained in the salt-treated group, including 780 upregulated genes and 1,401 down-regulated genes, while 4,422 DEGs were obtained in the MT group, among which 1,438 were upregulated and 2,984 were downregulated. By using GO functional annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment, we found that DEGs were mainly enriched in the biosynthesis of flavonoids, isoflavones, plant hormones, Glutathione (GSH), soluble sugars and other substances, as well as in the ABC transporter and MAPK signaling pathways. Among them, the DEGs in the MT group was more enriched in these pathways, suggesting that MT can combat salt stress by regulating the expression of genes related to phytohormone and antioxidant capacity, which has important reference value for the breeding of salt-tolerant alfalfa and other crops.
Keywords
alfalfa; salt stress; melatonin; transcriptomics; differentially expressed genes
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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