Role of Melatonin in Regulating Photosynthesis in Higher Plants under Abiotic Stress

Yongfeng Li¹, Peirong Tian², Jieqian Zheng², Yingying Cui², Limei Gao^2,*
1 Analysis and Testing Centre, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan, China
2 College of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan, China
* Corresponding Author: Limei Gao. Email: email
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Bioactive Natural Components as Regulators of Cellular Pathways and Disease Progression)

BIOCELL https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2026.083591

Received 07 April 2026; Accepted 29 June 2026; Published online 09 July 2026

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Abstract

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, Mel) is a small indole hormone molecule widely distributed in almost all living organisms, and it has multiple biological functions. Currently, melatonin has been reported to play a positive regulatory role in growth and development modulation, circadian rhythm conversion, antioxidant metabolism, plant immunity, cell senescence, and photosynthetic energy conversion for higher plants. This article systematically expounds the research progress of melatonin on the transcriptional regulation of photosynthesis-related genes, the structure and function of photosynthetic proteins, photosynthate metabolism, chloroplast ROS metabolism, and biological rhythms in higher plants, and then summarizes the hot issues and study trends in these fields. It primarily aims to provide a theoretical basis for future mechanistic studies and the potential agricultural applications of melatonin.