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<p>Abiotic stresses such as salinity and drought impose major constraints on crop productivity by triggering reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and disrupting cellular homeostasis. Plants have evolved intricate defense networks involving phytohormones and signaling molecules to cope with these challenges. Among these, melatonin, an indoleamine originally characterized as an animal neurotransmitter, has emerged as a crucial plant signaling molecule with protective roles against environmental stresses. Caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT), a multifunctional enzyme, not only participates in lignin biosynthesis by methylating caffeic acid but also contributes to melatonin biosynthesis through the methylation of N-acetylserotonin. Here, we report a genome-wide characterization of the COMT gene family in the C4 crop <i>Eleusine coracana</i> (finger millet) and its role in abiotic stress signaling. Expression profiling under salinity and drought revealed strong induction of two COMT genes, <i>EcCOMT7</i> and <i>EcCOMT49</i>. Functional analysis showed that ectopic expression of these genes in yeast conferred enhanced stress tolerance, while transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing <i>EcCOMT7</i> and <i>EcCOMT49</i> displayed improved growth, antioxidant capacity, and reduced ROS accumulation under stress compared to wild-type plants. Our findings highlight the evolutionary conservation of COMT-mediated melatonin biosynthesis as a critical component of plant defense signaling networks. By linking an animal neurotransmitter-derived pathway with plant stress resilience, this study emphasis the role of COMTs as signaling mediators, offering promising targets for engineering climate-resilient crops.</p>

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Caffeic Acid O-Methyltransferase Proteins Involved in Mediating Drought and Salinity Stress Alleviation in Eleusine coracana (Finger Millet)

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月23日

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  • Vikash Kumar,
  • Kaberi Sonowal,
  • Mohini Yadav,
  • Mukesh Meghwal,
  • Rupesh Deshmukh,
  • Prafull Salvi,
  • Saurabh C. Saxena

摘要

Abiotic stresses such as salinity and drought impose major constraints on crop productivity by triggering reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and disrupting cellular homeostasis. Plants have evolved intricate defense networks involving phytohormones and signaling molecules to cope with these challenges. Among these, melatonin, an indoleamine originally characterized as an animal neurotransmitter, has emerged as a crucial plant signaling molecule with protective roles against environmental stresses. Caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT), a multifunctional enzyme, not only participates in lignin biosynthesis by methylating caffeic acid but also contributes to melatonin biosynthesis through the methylation of N-acetylserotonin. Here, we report a genome-wide characterization of the COMT gene family in the C4 crop Eleusine coracana (finger millet) and its role in abiotic stress signaling. Expression profiling under salinity and drought revealed strong induction of two COMT genes, EcCOMT7 and EcCOMT49. Functional analysis showed that ectopic expression of these genes in yeast conferred enhanced stress tolerance, while transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing EcCOMT7 and EcCOMT49 displayed improved growth, antioxidant capacity, and reduced ROS accumulation under stress compared to wild-type plants. Our findings highlight the evolutionary conservation of COMT-mediated melatonin biosynthesis as a critical component of plant defense signaling networks. By linking an animal neurotransmitter-derived pathway with plant stress resilience, this study emphasis the role of COMTs as signaling mediators, offering promising targets for engineering climate-resilient crops.