Melatonin promotes metabolism of bisphenol A by enhancing glutathione-dependent detoxification in Solanum lycopersicum L

Bisphenol A (BPA), a widely distributed organic compound, is toxic to animals and plants. Here we show the mechanism of BPA detoxification by melatonin (MEL) in tomato, which is otherwise poorly understood in plants. BPA treatment decreased the quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and increased the membrane lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation dose-dependently, whereas exogenous MEL alleviated the BPA effects on Fv/Fm, lipid peroxidation, ROS accumulation and BPA uptake. Furthermore, BPA elevated the glutathione (GSH) content, activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GR), and the transcript levels of GSH1, GR1, GST1 and MEL biosynthesis genes (COMT, T5H, and SNAT), whereas BPA + MEL showed even a more profound induction. Silencing GSH1, GR1 and GST1…