Comparative photosynthetic and metabolic analyses reveal mechanism of improved cold stress tolerance in bermudagrass by exogenous melatonin

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) has been reported to participate in plant development and abiotic stress responses. The main objective of this study was to investigate the role of melatonin in the cold-sensitive (S) and the cold-tolerant (T) bermudagrass genotypes' response to cold stress. The genotypes were treated with 100 μM melatonin and exposed to 4 °C temperature for 3 days. In both genotypes, cold stress increased the endogenous melatonin levels, and more prominently in T than S. Physiological responses indicated that exogenous melatonin triggered antioxidant activities in both genotypes, while it alleviated cell damage in the T genotype response to cold stress. Melatonin treatment under cold stress increased fluorescence curve levels for both genotypes, and higher in T than S genotypes. In…