Plant hormone melatonin can rewrite genes to remember stress
Li C, Guo W, Su X, Cheng H, Wang P
Plant Signaling
The tomato plant that bounces back faster from a heat wave than its neighbor may owe that resilience to melatonin quietly reshaping its genetic switches, a trick breeders could eventually harness for tougher garden and crop varieties.
Plants make their own version of melatonin, and scientists are finding it does more than just mop up stress damage inside cells. It appears to flip molecular switches that control which genes turn on during things like drought, heat, or heavy metal exposure, and it may even help plants pass a kind of stress memory to the next generation. Researchers think this could eventually be used to 'prime' crops so they cope better with tough conditions.
Key Findings
Phytomelatonin buffers stress-induced shifts in DNA methylation and modulates histone acetylation/methylation marks that control gene accessibility
It rewires microRNA and long noncoding RNA networks and counteracts cadmium-induced m6A RNA hypermethylation
The hormone may convert short-term stress responses into durable, potentially transgenerational, 'stress memory' via epigenetic and epitranscriptomic changes
chevron_right Technical Summary
A natural hormone in plants called phytomelatonin doesn't just neutralize stress damage, it can actually reprogram which genes stay switched on or off, potentially helping plants 'remember' past droughts or heat waves and respond faster next time.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Phytomelatonin-mediated epigenetic and RNA regulatory networks in plant abiotic stress resilience.
Phytomelatonin has long been viewed as a pleiotropic stress signal that protects plants by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), reinforcing antioxidant capacity, and coordinating hormonal resp...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Gene editing removes 97% of celiac-triggering proteins from bread wheat
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
Climate adaptation in plants refers to the physiological and evolutionary mechanisms through which plants adjust to changing environmental conditions, including temperature shifts, altered precipitation patterns, and seasonal variations. Understanding these processes is essential for plant science
arrow_forward Explore topic