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Article|08 Oct 2019|OPEN
Melatonin enhances salt tolerance by promoting MYB108A-mediated ethylene biosynthesis in grapevines
Lili Xu1 , Guangqing Xiang1 , Qinghua Sun2 , Yong Ni2 , Zhongxin Jin1 , Shiwei Gao1 and Yuxin Yao,1 ,
1State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Fruit & Vegetable Quality and Efficient Production, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai-An, Shandong 271018, China
2State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai-An, Shandong 271018, China
*Corresponding author. E-mail: yaoyx@sdau.edu.cn

Horticulture Research 6,
Article number: 114 (2019)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438-019-0197-4
Views: 1063

Received: 18 Feb 2019
Revised: 03 Jul 2019
Accepted: 14 Aug 2019
Published online: 08 Oct 2019

Abstract

The signal molecules melatonin and ethylene play key roles in abiotic stress tolerance. The interplay between melatonin and ethylene in regulating salt tolerance and the underlying molecular mechanism of this interplay remain unclear. Here, we found that both melatonin and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC, a precursor of ethylene) enhanced the tolerance of grapevine to NaCl; additionally, ethylene participated in melatonin-induced salt tolerance. Further experiments indicated that exogenous treatment and endogenous induction of melatonin increased the ACC content and ethylene production in grapevine and tobacco plants, respectively. The expression of MYB108A and ACS1, which function as a transcription factor and a key gene involved in ethylene production, respectively, was strongly induced by melatonin treatment. Additionally, MYB108A directly bound to the promoter of ACS1 and activated its transcription. MYB108A expression promoted ACC synthesis and ethylene production by activating ACS1 expression in response to melatonin treatment. The suppression of MYB108A expression partially limited the effect of melatonin on the induction of ethylene production and reduced melatonin-induced salt tolerance. Collectively, melatonin promotes ethylene biosynthesis and salt tolerance through the regulation of ACS1 by MYB108A.