Open AccessMelatonin in plants: what we know and what we don’t
Author(s) -
Zixin Zhang,
Yang Zhang
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
food quality and safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.955
H-Index - 14
eISSN - 2399-1402
pISSN - 2399-1399
DOI - 10.1093/fqsafe/fyab009
Subject(s) - melatonin , abiotic component , hormone , biosynthesis , biology , endogeny , signal transduction , abiotic stress , plant hormone , microbiology and biotechnology , computational biology , gene , biochemistry , endocrinology , ecology
Melatonin is an endogenous micromolecular compound of indoleamine with multiple physiological functions in various organisms. In plants, melatonin is involved in growth and development, as well as in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Furthermore, melatonin functions in phytohormone-mediated signal transduction pathways. There are multiple melatonin biosynthesis pathways, and the melatonin content in plants is greatly affected by intrinsic genetic characteristics and external environmental factors. Although melatonin biosynthesis has been extensively studied in model plants, it remains uncharacterized in most plants. This article focuses on current knowledge on the biosynthesis, regulation and application of melatonin, particularly for fruit quality and preservation. In addition, it highlights the links between melatonin and other hormones, as well as future research directions.