Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is a prevalent and toxic heavy metal widely present in soils. Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress. Melatonin (MT), a potent indoleamine antioxidant, has been demonstrated to facilitate seed germination under adverse conditions, but its regulatory mechanisms in cotton under Cd stress remain unclear. In this study, cotton seeds of the cultivar ‘Nongda 601’ were used to investigate the effects of exogenous MT on germination characteristics, antioxidant enzyme activities, and hormone levels under Cd stress. Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM). Transcriptome sequencing was further conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Cd stress significantly inhibited cotton seed germination, reduced amylase activity, and increased starch accumulation. It also decreased antioxidant enzyme activities while increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. In addition, Cd stress increased IAA, ABA, and endogenous MT contents, while decreasing GA 3 and ZR levels. Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities, decreased ROS, MDA, and starch contents, and modulated hormone levels by increasing IAA, GA 3 , ZR, and endogenous MT, while decreasing ABA content. Transcriptome analysis indicated that MT upregulated the expression of antioxidant-related genes under Cd stress, including SODA , FSD , CAT2 , and pod . Additionally, exogenous MT alleviated Cd toxicity by regulating hormone signal transduction and the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway. Exogenous MT alleviates Cd-induced inhibition of cotton seed germination by enhancing antioxidant capacity, promoting starch mobilization, and rebalancing hormone signaling, while modulating phenylpropanoid metabolism. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for improving cotton cultivation in Cd-contaminated soils.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium stress inhibited cotton seed germination.
- Taxon
- cotton
Gossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cd stress significantly inhibited cotton seed germination”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium stress reduced amylase activity.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cd stress significantly inhibited cotton seed germination, reduced amylase activity, and increased starch accumulation”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium stress increased starch accumulation.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cd stress significantly inhibited cotton seed germination, reduced amylase activity, and increased starch accumulation”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium stress decreased antioxidant enzyme activities.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“It also decreased antioxidant enzyme activities while increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium stress increased ROS and MDA contents.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium stress increased IAA, ABA, and endogenous MT contents.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cd stress increased IAA, ABA, and endogenous MT contents”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium stress decreased GA 3 and ZR levels.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“decreasing GA 3 and ZR levels”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MT enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities under cadmium stress.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MT decreased ROS, MDA, and starch contents under cadmium stress.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“decreased ROS, MDA, and starch contents”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MT increased IAA, GA 3, ZR, and endogenous MT under cadmium stress.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“increasing IAA, GA 3 , ZR, and endogenous MT”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MT decreased ABA content under cadmium stress.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“decreasing ABA content”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
MT upregulated antioxidant-related genes under cadmium stress.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“MT upregulated the expression of antioxidant-related genes under Cd stress, including SODA , FSD , CAT2 , and pod”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MT regulated hormone signal transduction and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis during alleviation of cadmium toxicity.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0e1e2e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“exogenous MT alleviated Cd toxicity by regulating hormone signal transduction and the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway”
e1“Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.), which readily accumulates Cd, exhibits inhibited seed germination under Cd stress”
e2“Experimental treatments included a control (CK), MT treatment, Cd treatment, and a combined Cd + MT treatment (CM)”
e3“Exogenous MT significantly enhanced amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities”
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See all 16 papers →8 of 11 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.