Melatonin in Arabidopsis thaliana acts as plant growth regulator at low concentrations and preserves seed viability at high concentrations

ISMAEL GATICA-HERNÁNDEZ; FEDERICO JOSE VICENTE GOMEZ; SOLEDAD CERUTTI; VERONICA ARANA; M. FERNANDA SILVA

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY

ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2015 vol. 94 p. 191 - 196

0981-9428

Since the discovery of melatonin in plants, several roles have been described for different species, organs,and developmental stages. Arabidopsis thaliana, being a model plant species, is adequate to contribute tothe elucidation of the role of melatonin in plants. In this work, melatonin was monitored daily by UHPLCMS/MS in leaves, in order to study its diurnal accumulation as well as the effects of natural and artificiallight treatments on its concentration. Furthermore, the effects of exogenous application of melatonin toassess its role in seed viability after heat stress and as a regulator of growth and development ofvegetative tissues were evaluated. Our results indicate that melatonin contents in Arabidopsis werehigher in plants growing under natural radiation when compared to those growing under artificialconditions, and its levels were not diurnally-regulated. Exogenous melatonin applications prolongedseed viability after heat stress conditions. In addition, melatonin applications retarded leaf senescence.Its effects as growth promoter were dose and tissueedependent; stimulating root growth at low concentrationsand decreasing leaf area at high doses.