Exogenous melatonin alleviates drought stress in wheat by enhancing photosynthesis and carbon metabolism to promote floret development and grain yield

IF 6.8 Q1 PLANT SCIENCES

Plant Stress Pub Date : 2025-05-09 DOI:10.1016/j.stress.2025.100885

Yanyan Zhang , Yahui Li , Jiahao Liu , Liunan Suo , Dongyu Li , Li He , Jianzhao Duan , Yonghua Wang , Wei Feng , Tiancai Guo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Melatonin (MT) is a novel exogenous plant growth regulator. Spraying exogenous MT can enhance the growth and development of wheat, and alleviate drought stress, but research on the physiological mechanism by which spike floret development into grain under drought stress is limited. Therefore, we conducted a study from 2019 to 2023 in which a foliar spray of 100 μmol·L^-1 MT was applied before the peak of floret degeneration under drought stress conditions to investigate the physiological mechanisms by which exogenous MT regulates spike floret development. The results showed that, compared with the drought stress treatments, MT spraying increased the total number of florets, number of fertile florets, and grain setting rate at different spikelet positions in the two types of wheat varieties, with an increase in the number of grains per spike of 19.72 % for Zhoumai 22 and 18.65 % for Yumai 49–198. MT application enhanced photosynthetic productivity by regulating the leaf photosynthetic performance of wheat to maintain normal metabolic carbon functions. Structural equation modeling revealed that both irrigation and MT application under drought stress could promote spike floret development. Irrigation treatment affected the number of fertile spikelets mainly by regulating soluble sugars, thus promoting an increase in the number of fertile florets. MT spraying influenced mainly the grain number per spikelet by regulating ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activity and soluble sugars, facilitating the growth and transition of florets into grains. This study investigated the physiological and metabolic mechanisms by which exogenous MT regulated floret development into grains under drought stress, providing novel insights into the potential of exogenous plant growth regulators to mitigate the adverse effects of drought and increase wheat yield.

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外源褪黑素通过增强小麦光合作用和碳代谢，促进小花发育和籽粒产量，缓解干旱胁迫

褪黑素（Melatonin， MT）是一种新的外源植物生长调节剂。喷施外源MT能促进小麦生长发育，缓解干旱胁迫，但对干旱胁迫下穗小花发育成粒的生理机制研究有限。因此，本研究于2019 - 2023年在干旱胁迫条件下，在小花退化高峰前叶面喷施100 μmol·L-1 MT，探讨外源MT调控穗小花发育的生理机制。结果表明，与干旱胁迫处理相比，MT喷施提高了两种小麦品种的总小花数、可育小花数和不同颖花位置的结实率，其中周麦22号和玉麦49-198的穗粒数分别提高了19.72%和18.65%。MT处理通过调节小麦叶片光合性能，维持正常的碳代谢功能，从而提高小麦的光合生产力。结构方程模型表明，干旱胁迫下灌水和机栽均能促进穗小花发育。灌溉处理主要通过调节可溶性糖来影响可育小花数，从而促进可育小花数的增加。MT喷施主要通过调节核酮糖-1,5-二磷酸羧化酶/加氧酶（Rubisco）活性和可溶性糖来影响每穗粒数，促进小花的生长和成粒。本研究探讨了干旱胁迫下外源MT调控小花发育成粒的生理代谢机制，为外源植物生长调节剂在缓解干旱不利影响和提高小麦产量方面的潜力提供了新的见解。

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来源期刊

Plant Stress PLANT SCIENCES-

CiteScore

5.20

自引率

8.00%

发文量

审稿时长

63 days

期刊介绍： The journal Plant Stress deals with plant (or other photoautotrophs, such as algae, cyanobacteria and lichens) responses to abiotic and biotic stress factors that can result in limited growth and productivity. Such responses can be analyzed and described at a physiological, biochemical and molecular level. Experimental approaches/technologies aiming to improve growth and productivity with a potential for downstream validation under stress conditions will also be considered. Both fundamental and applied research manuscripts are welcome, provided that clear mechanistic hypotheses are made and descriptive approaches are avoided. In addition, high-quality review articles will also be considered, provided they follow a critical approach and stimulate thought for future research avenues. Plant Stress welcomes high-quality manuscripts related (but not limited) to interactions between plants and: Lack of water (drought) and excess (flooding), Salinity stress, Elevated temperature and/or low temperature (chilling and freezing), Hypoxia and/or anoxia, Mineral nutrient excess and/or deficiency, Heavy metals and/or metalloids, Plant priming (chemical, biological, physiological, nanomaterial, biostimulant) approaches for improved stress protection, Viral, phytoplasma, bacterial and fungal plant-pathogen interactions. The journal welcomes basic and applied research articles, as well as review articles and short communications. All submitted manuscripts will be subject to a thorough peer-reviewing process.