Melatonin regulates the functional components of photosynthesis, antioxidant system, gene expression, and metabolic pathways to induce drought resistance in grafted Carya cathayensis plants.

摘要: The Chinese hickory (Carya cathayensis) is an economically important tree species popular for its nuts. However, the requires a long time to reach nut-producing phase. To overcome this problem, grafting widely used reduce from vegetative reproductive This also faces many environmental challenges due climate change; drought factor affecting growth and development. Here, we designed experiment assess protective efficiency of melatonin in grafted plants under stress. results revealed that exogenously applied successfully recovered improved photosynthetic efficiency. Exogenously boosted antioxidative defense system stress, resulting enhanced reactive oxygen (ROS) scavenging. accumulation compatible solutes such as total soluble sugars proline was triggered by melatonin. Moreover, analyses using metabolomics drought-stressed treated with regulated key metabolic pathways phenylpropanoid, chlorophyll carotenoid biosynthesis, carbon fixation, sugar metabolism. further validate physiological, biochemical, metabolomic factors, studied molecular mechanisms analyzing expression genes involved metabolism (chlorophyllase, CHLASE), (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT; ascorbate peroxidase, APX; POD), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). significantly transcript levels biological processes mentioned above. Melatonin showed crosstalk other hormones (zeatin, gibberellin A14, 24-epibrassinolide, jasmonic acid, abscisic acid) regulate physiological processes. study show regulates at resist