Melatonin enhances KCl salinity tolerance by maintaining K⁺ homeostasis in Malus hupehensis.

ABSTRACT: Large amounts of potash fertilizer are often applied to apple (Malus domestica) orchards to enhance fruit quality and yields, but this treatment aggravates KCl-based salinity stress. Melatonin (MT) is involved in a variety of abiotic stress responses in plants. However, its role in KCl stress tolerance is still unknown. In the present study, we determined that an appropriate concentration (100 μm) of MT significantly alleviated KCl stress in Malus hupehensis by enhancing K⁺ efflux out of cells and compartmentalizing K⁺ in vacuoles. Transcriptome deep-sequencing analysis identified the core transcription factor gene MdWRKY53, whose expression responded to both KCl and MT treatment. Overexpressing MdWRKY53 enhanced KCl tolerance in transgenic apple plants by increasing

SUBMITTER: Sun Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10579713 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature