Zhu Jiawei, Huang Ziyao, Guo Mengxiao, Xiao Yunying, Li Yuxing, Zhang Xiaoli, Xia Hui, Liang Dong, Lv Xiulan, Wang Jin, Lin Lijin
College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
BMC Plant Biol. 2025 Sep 2;25(1):1184. doi: 10.1186/s12870-025-07236-9.
Melatonin (MT) is a growth regulator that influences anthocyanin synthesis during plant growth. However, the regulation mechanism of MT on the coloration of plum peels remains unclear. Here, the effects of MT on the anthocyanin accumulation and coloration in Chinese plum peels were examined after MT (100 μmol/L) or water (control) treatment. The results showed that MT treatment accelerated the changes in plum peels from green to red by increasing the anthocyanin and phenolic contents. MT treatment also increased the antioxidant capacity, including the scavenging capacity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP); and promoted the enzyme activities of anthocyanin synthesis, such as chalcone synthase (CHS), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), chalcone isomerase (CHI), and UDP-glucose 3-O-glucosyltransferase (UFGT). Moreover, transcriptome analysis indicated that MT treatment up-regulated the expression of several key anthocyanin-related genes, including CHS, F3H, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), and UFGT, revealing the regulatory role of MT in anthocyanin metabolism. In conclusion, MT treatment can promote the anthocyanin accumulation and coloration in plum peels.
褪黑素（MT）是一种生长调节因子，在植物生长过程中影响花青素的合成。然而，MT对李果皮着色的调控机制尚不清楚。在此，用MT（100 μmol/L）或水（对照）处理后，研究了MT对中国李果皮花青素积累和着色的影响。结果表明，MT处理通过增加花青素和酚类物质含量，加速了李果皮从绿色到红色的变化。MT处理还提高了抗氧化能力，包括2,2-二苯基-1-苦基肼（DPPH）清除能力和铁还原抗氧化能力（FRAP）；并促进了花青素合成相关酶的活性，如查尔酮合酶（CHS）、黄烷酮3-羟化酶（F3H）、查尔酮异构酶（CHI）和UDP-葡萄糖3-O-葡萄糖基转移酶（UFGT）。此外，转录组分析表明，MT处理上调了几个关键的花青素相关基因的表达，包括CHS、F3H、二氢黄酮醇4-还原酶（DFR）、花青素合酶（ANS）和UFGT，揭示了MT在花青素代谢中的调控作用。总之，MT处理可以促进李果皮花青素的积累和着色。
