title: Melatonin Regulates Root Architecture by Modulating Auxin Response in Rice.
abstract: It has been suggested that melatonin acts as an important regulator in controlling root growth and development, but the underlying molecular mechanism driving this relationship remains undetermined. In this study, we demonstrated that melatonin acts as a potent molecule to govern root architecture in rice. Treatments with melatonin significantly inhibited embryonic root growth, and promoted lateral root formation and development. Genome-wide expression profiling by RNA-sequencing revealed auxin-related genes were significantly activated under melatonin treatment. Moreover, several transcription factors and candidatecis-regulatory elements involved in root growth and developments, as well as auxin-related processes, were over-represented in both co-up and -down differentially expressed genes, suggesting that melatonin-mediated root growth occurs in an auxin signal pathway-dependent manner. Further, gravitropic response analysis determined that melatonin affects auxin-regulated processes in rice root. These data show that melatonin shapes root architecture by directly or indirectly activating the auxin signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chengzhen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Aifu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wenzhen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chengzhi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Sandui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chengcai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chu
keywords: auxin; melatonin; rice; root architecture; root growth and development; transcriptome