Methyl jasmonate mediates melatonin-induced cold tolerance of grafted watermelon plants.

ABSTRACT: Root-shoot communication has a critical role in plant adaptation to environmental stress. Grafting is widely applied to enhance the abiotic stress tolerance of many horticultural crop species; however, the signal transduction mechanism involved in this tolerance remains unknown. Here, we show that pumpkin- or figleaf gourd rootstock-enhanced cold tolerance of watermelon shoots is accompanied by increases in the accumulation of melatonin, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Increased melatonin levels in leaves were associated with both increased melatonin in rootstocks and MeJA-induced melatonin biosynthesis in leaves of plants under cold stress. Exogenous melatonin increased the accumulation of MeJA and H₂O₂ and enhanced cold t

SUBMITTER: Li H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7943586 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature