Similar to animal systems, plants have been suggested to possess both positive and antagonistic interactions between nitric oxide (NO) and melatonin. This review summarizes the current understanding of NO-melatonin crosstalk in plants with regard to redox homoeostasis, regulation of gene expression, and developmental changes. It also addresses the possible role of N-nitrosomelatonin (NOmela), which is likely to be associated with redox signaling and long-distance communication. Localization and quantification of NOmela are expected to add new insights into its precise role in plants. Methodological advances in imaging, isolation, and quantification of such a transient molecule require further attention. The quest for the biological role of NOmela in plants should lure physiologists to pursue investigations to obtain solid experimental evidence.
Keywords: N-nitrosomelatonin (NOmela); Abiotic stress; melatonin; nitric oxide; reactive nitrogen species; redox signaling.
© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.