# Metabolome and Transcriptome Analysis Revealed the Pivotal Role of Exogenous Melatonin in Enhancing Salt Tolerance in Vitis vinifera L

## TL;DR

This study shows how adding melatonin helps grapevines handle salt stress better by changing their metabolism and gene activity.

## Contribution

The study reveals novel insights into how exogenous melatonin enhances salt tolerance in grapevines through transcriptomic and metabolomic changes.

## Key findings

- Exogenous melatonin increased endogenous melatonin levels while reducing flavonoid content in grapevines.
- Melatonin treatment regulated auxin response and melatonin synthesis-related genes in grapevines under salt stress.
- Weighted gene coexpression network analysis identified key genes involved in melatonin synthesis and auxin response pathways.

## Abstract

Vitis vinifera L. possesses high economic value, but its growth and yield are seriously affected by salt stress. Though melatonin (MT) has been widely reported to enhance tolerance towards abiotic stresses in plants, the regulatory role melatonin plays in resisting salt tolerance in grapevines has scarcely been studied. Here, we observed the phenotypes under the treatment of different melatonin concentrations, and then transcriptome and metabolome analyses were performed. A total of 457 metabolites were detected in CK- and MT-treated cell cultures at 1 WAT (week after treatment) and 4 WATs. Exogenous melatonin treatment significantly increased the endogenous melatonin content while down-regulating the flavonoid content. To be specific, the melatonin content was obviously up-regulated, while the contents of more than a dozen flavonoids were down-regulated. Auxin response genes and melatonin synthesis-related genes were regulated by the exogenous melatonin treatment. WGCNA (weighted gene coexpression network analysis) identified key salt-responsive genes; they were directly or indirectly involved in melatonin synthesis and auxin response. The synergistic effect of salt and melatonin treatment was investigated by transcriptome analysis, providing additional evidence for the stress-alleviating properties of melatonin through auxin-related pathways. The present study explored the impact of exogenous melatonin on grapevines’ ability to adapt to salt stress and provided novel insights into enhancing their tolerance to salt stress.