In the world, the data on the synthesis and physiological functions of plant neurotransmitters, characteristic of animal organisms, are being intensively accumulated. One of them is melatonin, which in recent years has been considered as a multifunctional bioregulator of plant organisms. The first national review on the phytophysiology of melatonin summarizes information about the ways of synthesis and metabolism of melatonin in plants. The phenomenology of changes in the endogenous content of melatonin in plant organs of various species under the influence of stress factors (extreme temperatures, drought, salinity, etc.) is considered. Data on the effect of exogenous melatonin on the resistance of plants to hypo- and hyperthermia, dehydration, salt stress, and the effects of heavy metals are presented. It is noted that the stress-protective effects of melatonin can be due to its direct antioxidant and membrane-protective effect, influence on gene expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes, synthesis of stress proteins and low molecular weight protective compounds, in particular, polyamines and proline. The molecular mechanisms of action of melatonin are considered. The role of receptor-like kinases (RLK) and the protein Cand2 (GPCR) as possible melatonin receptors is discussed. Experimental data on the influence of melatonin on the calcium homeostasis of plant cells and the synthesis of reactive oxygen species in them are analyzed. The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the implementation of the stress-protective effects of melatonin is considered. It is noted that the key components of melatonin action can be post-translational modifications of proteins, including transcription factors, in particular, S-nitrosylation, thiol modifications, phosphorylation by various kinases. Such modifications lead to changes in the expression of genes involved in the formation of adaptive responses of plants. It is emphasized that the functional connections between the components of the signaling network involved in the realization of the physiological effects of meatonin remain poorly studied.
Keywords: melatonin, stress-protective reactions of plants, cell signaling, antioxidants, reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, calcium
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