Dual Melatonin Enhances Coordination Between Carbon and Nitrogen Assimilation in Soybean

Soybean production is currently insufficient to meet global demand, highlighting the need for strategies to enhance growth. Melatonin (MT) has emerged as a promising solution due to its growth-promoting properties. This study investigated the effects of a dual MT treatment—combining seed soaking and...

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Main Authors: Yanhong Wang, Xijun Jin, Yuxian Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/7/681
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author Yanhong Wang
Xijun Jin
Yuxian Zhang
author_facet Yanhong Wang
Xijun Jin
Yuxian Zhang
author_sort Yanhong Wang
collection DOAJ
description Soybean production is currently insufficient to meet global demand, highlighting the need for strategies to enhance growth. Melatonin (MT) has emerged as a promising solution due to its growth-promoting properties. This study investigated the effects of a dual MT treatment—combining seed soaking and foliar spraying—on soybean carbon and nitrogen metabolism using metabolomics analysis. The results demonstrated that MT treatment significantly upregulated the TCA cycle, providing energy and precursors for amino acid and carbohydrate synthesis. Key amino acid pathways, including histidine and phenylalanine metabolism, were enhanced, with histidine metabolism stimulating purine synthesis to improve biological nitrogen fixation and phenylalanine metabolism promoting secondary metabolite production to support growth. Additionally, carbohydrate pathways such as starch and sucrose metabolism and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis were positively regulated, ensuring energy supply and carbon homeostasis. Overall, dual MT treatment enhanced soybean metabolic capacity by promoting amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism, stimulating purine and secondary metabolite production, and maintaining carbon and nitrogen balance. These findings underscore melatonin’s regulatory role in soybean growth and provide insights for improving crop productivity.
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spelling doaj-art-eaf4d2d1e96a4ccca94992969ce0c1562025-08-20T03:06:23ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-03-0115768110.3390/agriculture15070681Dual Melatonin Enhances Coordination Between Carbon and Nitrogen Assimilation in SoybeanYanhong Wang0Xijun Jin1Yuxian Zhang2College of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Mechanized Production, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Daqing 163319, ChinaCollege of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Mechanized Production, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Daqing 163319, ChinaCollege of Agronomy, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Soybean Mechanized Production, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Daqing 163319, ChinaSoybean production is currently insufficient to meet global demand, highlighting the need for strategies to enhance growth. Melatonin (MT) has emerged as a promising solution due to its growth-promoting properties. This study investigated the effects of a dual MT treatment—combining seed soaking and foliar spraying—on soybean carbon and nitrogen metabolism using metabolomics analysis. The results demonstrated that MT treatment significantly upregulated the TCA cycle, providing energy and precursors for amino acid and carbohydrate synthesis. Key amino acid pathways, including histidine and phenylalanine metabolism, were enhanced, with histidine metabolism stimulating purine synthesis to improve biological nitrogen fixation and phenylalanine metabolism promoting secondary metabolite production to support growth. Additionally, carbohydrate pathways such as starch and sucrose metabolism and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis were positively regulated, ensuring energy supply and carbon homeostasis. Overall, dual MT treatment enhanced soybean metabolic capacity by promoting amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism, stimulating purine and secondary metabolite production, and maintaining carbon and nitrogen balance. These findings underscore melatonin’s regulatory role in soybean growth and provide insights for improving crop productivity.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/7/681soybeansmelatoninmetabolomicsamino acid metabolismcarbohydrate metabolism
spellingShingle Yanhong Wang
Xijun Jin
Yuxian Zhang
Dual Melatonin Enhances Coordination Between Carbon and Nitrogen Assimilation in Soybean
Agriculture
soybeans
melatonin
metabolomics
amino acid metabolism
carbohydrate metabolism
title Dual Melatonin Enhances Coordination Between Carbon and Nitrogen Assimilation in Soybean
title_full Dual Melatonin Enhances Coordination Between Carbon and Nitrogen Assimilation in Soybean
title_fullStr Dual Melatonin Enhances Coordination Between Carbon and Nitrogen Assimilation in Soybean
title_full_unstemmed Dual Melatonin Enhances Coordination Between Carbon and Nitrogen Assimilation in Soybean
title_short Dual Melatonin Enhances Coordination Between Carbon and Nitrogen Assimilation in Soybean
title_sort dual melatonin enhances coordination between carbon and nitrogen assimilation in soybean
topic soybeans
melatonin
metabolomics
amino acid metabolism
carbohydrate metabolism
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/7/681
work_keys_str_mv AT yanhongwang dualmelatoninenhancescoordinationbetweencarbonandnitrogenassimilationinsoybean
AT xijunjin dualmelatoninenhancescoordinationbetweencarbonandnitrogenassimilationinsoybean
AT yuxianzhang dualmelatoninenhancescoordinationbetweencarbonandnitrogenassimilationinsoybean