Melatonin as a Key Factor for Regulating and Relieving Abiotic Stresses in Harmony with Phytohormones in Horticultural Plants — a Review

Abstract

Melatonin was found in plants in the late 1990s, but its function, signaling, and interaction with other phytohormones still unclear. Melatonin research in plants has increased substantially in recent years, including reports on the impact of this putative plant hormone under biotic and abiotic stress situations. Temperature extremes, salt, drought, hypoxia or anoxia, nutrient deficiency, herbicides, UV radiation stress, and heavy metal toxicity are all important obstacles to horticulture crop production worldwide. To deal with these environmental challenges, plants have evolved complex signaling networks. Phytohormones are essential for controlling plant growth, development, and stress responses. Melatonin, a pleiotropic chemical present in a variety of species, has recently emerged as a powerful regulator of plant abiotic stress tolerance. The purpose of this review is to investigate the interplay between melatonin and phytohormones in the control of abiotic stress responses in horticultural crops. We explore the interactions of melatonin with several phytohormones under various abiotic stresses.