WRKY53 negatively regulates rice cold tolerance at the booting stage by fine-tuning anther gibberellin levels.

Cold tolerance at the booting (CTB) stage is a major factor limiting rice (Oryza sativa L.) productivity and geographical distribution. A few cold-tolerance genes have been identified, but they either need to be overexpressed to result in CTB or cause yield penalties, limiting their utility for breeding. Here, we characterize the function of the cold-induced transcription factor WRKY53 in rice. The wrky53 mutant displays increased CTB, as determined by higher seed setting. Low temperature is associated with lower gibberellin (GA) contents in anthers in the wild type but not in the wrky53 mutant, which accumulates slightly more GA in its anthers. WRKY53 directly binds to the promoters of GA biosynthesis genes and transcriptionally represses them in anthers. In addition, we uncover a possible mechanism by which GA regulates male fertility: SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1) interacts with and sequesters two critical transcription factors for tapetum development, UNDEVELOPED TAPETUM1 (UDT1), and TAPETUM DEGENERATION RETARDATION (TDR), and GA alleviates the sequestration by SLR1, thus allowing UDT1 and TDR to activate transcription. Finally, knocking out WRKY53 in diverse varieties increases cold tolerance without a yield penalty, leading to a higher yield in rice subjected to cold stress. Together, these findings provide a target for improving CTB in rice.

Comprehensive analysis of stress-activated protein kinase genes (OsSAPKs) in rice flowering time.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The rice SnRK2 members SAPK4, SAPK5, SAPK7 and SAPK10 are positive regulators involved in the regulation of rice flowering, while other single mutants exhibited no effect on rice flowering. The rice SnRK2 family, comprising 10 members known as SAPK (SnRK2-Associated Protein Kinase), is pivotal in the abscisic acid (ABA) pathway and crucial for various biological processes, such as drought resistance and salt tolerance. Additionally, these members have been implicated in the regulation of rice heading date, a key trait influencing planting area and yield. In this study, we utilized gene editing technology to create mutants in the Songjing 2 (SJ2) background, enabling a comprehensive analyze the role of each SAPK member in rice flowering. We found that SAPK1, SAPK2, and SAPK3 may not directly participate in the regulatory network of rice heading date, while SAPK4, SAPK5, and SAPK7 play positive roles in rice flowering regulation. Notably, polygene deletion resulted in an additive effect on delaying flowering. Our findings corroborate the previous studies indicating the positive regulatory role of SAPK10 in rice flowering, as evidenced by delayed flowering observed in sapk9/10 double mutants. Moving forward, our future research will focus on analyzing the molecular mechanisms underlying SAPKs involvement in rice flowering regulation, aiming to enhance our understanding of the rice heading date relationship network and lay a theoretical foundation for breeding efforts to alter rice ripening dates.

Arabidopsis transcription factor STOP1 directly activates expression of NOD26-LIKE MAJOR INTRINSIC PROTEIN5;1, and is involved in the regulation of tolerance to low-boron stress.

Transcriptional regulation is a crucial component of plant adaptation to numerous different stresses; however, its role in how plants adapt to low-boron (B) stress remains unclear. In this study, we show that the C2H2-type transcription factor SENSITIVE TO PROTON RHIZOTOXICITY1 (STOP1) in Arabidopsis is essential for improving plant growth under low-B conditions. STOP1 and the boric acid-channel protein NOD26-LIKE MAJOR INTRINSIC PROTEIN5;1 (NIP5;1) were found to co-localize in root epidermal cells, and STOP1 binds to the 5´-untranslated region of NIP5;1 to activate its expression and enhance B uptake by the roots. Overexpression of STOP1 increased tolerance to low-B stress by up-regulating NIP5;1 transcript levels. Further genetic analyses revealed that STOP1 and NIP5;1 function together in the same pathway to confer low-B tolerance. These results highlight the importance of the STOP1-NIP5;1 module in improving plant growth under low-B conditions.

WRKY53 integrates classic brassinosteroid signaling and the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway to regulate rice architecture and seed size.

In rice (Oryza sativa) and other plants, plant architecture and seed size are closely related to yield. Brassinosteroid (BR) signaling and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway (MAPK kinase kinase 10 [MAPKKK10]-MAPK kinase 4 [MAPKK4]-MAPK6) are two major regulatory pathways that control rice architecture and seed size. However, their possible relationship and crosstalk remain elusive. Here, we show that WRKY53 mediated the crosstalk between BR signaling and the MAPK pathway. Biochemical and genetic assays demonstrated that glycogen synthase kinase-2 (GSK2) phosphorylates WRKY53 and lowers its stability, indicating that WRKY53 is a substrate of GSK2 in BR signaling. WRKY53 interacted with BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1(BZR1); they function synergistically to regulate BR-related developmental processes. We also provide genetic evidence showing that WRKY53 functions in a common pathway with the MAPKKK10-MAPKK4-MAPK6 cascade in leaf angle and seed size control, suggesting that WRKY53 is a direct substrate of this pathway. Moreover, GSK2 phosphorylated MAPKK4 to suppress MAPK6 activity, suggesting that GSK2-mediated BR signaling might also regulated MAPK pathway. Together, our results revealed a critical role for WRKY53 and uncovered sophisticated levels of interplay between BR signaling and the MAPK pathway in regulating rice architecture and seed size.

A novel functional allele of Ehd3 controls flowering time in rice.

Rice flowering time determines its geographical distribution and yield traits. As a short-day plant, rice can grow in the northern long-day conditions due to the functional mutations of many photosensitive genes. In this study, to identify novel genes or alleles that regulate flowering time in high latitude region, two cultivar, Dongnong 413 (DN413) and Yukimochi (XN) showing extreme early flowering were used for investigation. DN413 is around 4.0 days earlier than XN, and both cultivars can be grown in II (2500 â„ƒ-2700 â„ƒ) to III (2300 â„ƒ-2500 â„ƒ) accumulated temperature zones. We found that the two cultivars shared the same genotype of heading date genes, including Hd1/2/4/5/6/16/17/18, Ehd2, DTH2, SE5, Hd3a. Importantly, a novel Ehd3 allele characterized by a A1146C substitution was identified, which results in the E382D substitution, hereafter the 382 position E is defined as Hap_E and the 382 position D is defined as Hap_D. Association analysis showed that Hap_E is earlier flowering than Hap_D. Subsequently, we construct DN413 Hap_D line by three times back-crossing DN413 with XN, and found the heading date of DN413 Hap_D was 1.7-3.5 days later than DN413. Moreover, Hap_E and Hap_D of Ehd3 were transformed into ehd3 mutant, respectively, and the Ehd3pro:Ehd3D/ehd3 flowered later than that Ehd3pro:Ehd3E/ehd3 by around 4.3 days. Furthermore, we showed Ehd3 functions as a transcriptional suppressor and the substitution of Asp-382 lost the inhibition activity in protoplasts. Finally, a CAPS marker was developed and used for genotyping and marker assistant breeding. Collectively, we discovered a novel functional allele of Ehd3, which can used as a valuable breeding target. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-024-01472-x.

Genetic variation of BnaA3.NIP5;1 expressing in the lateral root cap contributes to boron deficiency tolerance in Brassica napus.

Boron (B) is essential for vascular plants. Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is the second leading crop source for vegetable oil worldwide, but its production is critically dependent on B supplies. BnaA3.NIP5;1 was identified as a B-efficient candidate gene in B. napus in our previous QTL fine mapping. However, the molecular mechanism through which this gene improves low-B tolerance remains elusive. Here, we report genetic variation in BnaA3.NIP5;1 gene, which encodes a boric acid channel, is a key determinant of low-B tolerance in B. napus. Transgenic lines with increased BnaA3.NIP5;1 expression exhibited improved low-B tolerance in both the seedling and maturity stages. BnaA3.NIP5;1 is preferentially polar-localized in the distal plasma membrane of lateral root cap (LRC) cells and transports B into the root tips to promote root growth under B-deficiency conditions. Further analysis revealed that a CTTTC tandem repeat in the 5'UTR of BnaA3.NIP5;1 altered the expression level of the gene, which is tightly associated with plant growth and seed yield. Field tests with natural populations and near-isogenic lines (NILs) confirmed that the varieties carried BnaA3.NIP5;1Q allele significantly improved seed yield. Taken together, our results provide novel insights into the low-B tolerance of B. napus, and the elite allele of BnaA3.NIP5;1 could serve as a direct target for breeding low-B-tolerant cultivars.

MicroRNA-181a Targets GNAI2 and Affects the Proliferation and Induction Ability of Dermal Papilla Cells: The Potential Involvement of the Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Wool is generated by hair follicles (HFs), which are crucial in defining the length, diameter, and morphology of wool fibers. However, the regulatory mechanism of HF growth and development remains largely unknown. Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) are a specialized cell type within HFs that play a crucial role in governing the growth and development of HFs. This study aims to investigate the proliferation and induction ability of ovine DPCs to enhance our understanding of the potential regulatory mechanisms underlying ovine HF growth and development. Previous research has demonstrated that microRNA-181a (miR-181a) was differentially expressed in skin tissues with different wool phenotypes, which indicated that miR-181a might play a crucial role in wool morphogenesis. In this study, we revealed that miR-181a inhibited the proliferation and induction ability of ovine DPCs by quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), cell counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), flow cytometry, and alkaline phosphatase staining. Then, we also confirmed G protein subunit alpha i2 (GNAI2) is a target gene of miR-181a by dual luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, and Western blot, and that it could promote the proliferation and induction ability of ovine DPCs. In addition, GNAI2 could also activate the Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling pathway in ovine DPCs. This study showed that miR-181a can inhibit the proliferation and induction ability of ovine DPCs by targeting GNAI2 through the Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling pathway.

OsWRKY78 regulates panicle exsertion via gibberellin signaling pathway in rice.

Panicle exsertion is one of the crucial agronomic traits in rice (Oryza sativa). Shortening of panicle exsertion often leads to panicle enclosure and severely reduces seed production. Gibberellin (GA) plays important roles in regulating panicle exsertion. However, the underlying mechanism and the relative regulatory network remain elusive. Here, we characterized the oswrky78 mutant showing severe panicle enclosure, and found that the defect of oswrky78 is caused by decreased bioactive GA contents. Biochemical analysis demonstrates that OsWRKY78 can directly activate GA biosynthesis and indirectly suppress GA metabolism. Moreover, we found OsWRKY78 can interact with and be phosphorylated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase OsMAPK6, and this phosphorylation can enhance OsWRKY78 stability and is necessary for its biological function. Taken together, these results not only reveal the critical function of OsWRKY78, but also reveal its mechanism via mediating crosstalk between MAPK and the GA signaling pathway in regulating panicle exsertion.

OsMAPK6 positively regulates rice cold tolerance at seedling stage via phosphorylating and stabilizing OsICE1 and OsIPA1.

Rice is a chilling-sensitive plant, and extremely low temperatures seriously decrease rice production. Several genes involved in chilling stress have been reported in rice; however, the chilling signaling in rice remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the chilling tolerance phenotype of overexpression of constitutive active OsMAPK6 (CAMAPK6-OE) and OsMAPK6 mutant dsg1, and demonstrated that OsMAPK6 positively regulated rice chilling tolerance. It was shown that, under cold stress, the survival rate of dsg1 was significantly lower than that of WT, whereas CAMAPK6-OE display higher survival rate than WT. Physiological assays indicate that ion leakage and dead cell in dsg1 was much more severe than those in WT and CAMAPK6-OE. Consistently, expression of chilling responsive genes in dsg1, including OsCBFs and OsTPP1, was significantly lower than that of in WT and CAMAPK6-OE. Biochemical analyses revealed that chilling stress promotes phosphorylation of OsMAPK6. Besides, we found that OsMAPK6 interacts with and phosphorylates two key regulators in rice cold signaling, OsIPA1 and OsICE1, and then enhance their protein stability. Overall, our results revealed a cold-induced OsMAPK6-OsICE1/OsIPA1 signaling cascade by which OsMAPK6 was involved in rice chilling tolerance, which provides novel insights to understand rice cold response at seedling stage.

The identification and validation of target genes of IGFBP3 protein in sheep skeletal muscle cells.

This study aimed to identify the target genes of IGFBP3（insulin growth factor binding protein）protein and to investigate its target genes effects on the proliferation and differentiation of Hu sheep skeletal muscle cells. IGFBP3 was an RNA-binding protein that regulates mRNA stability. Previous studies have reported that IGFBP3 promotes the proliferation of Hu sheep skeletal muscle cells and inhibits differentiation, but the downstream genes that bind to it have not been reported yet. We predicted the target genes of IGFBP3 through RNAct and sequencing data, and verified by qPCR and RIP（RNA Immunoprecipitation）experiments, and demonstrated GNAI2（G protein subunit alpha i2）as one of the target gene of IGFBP3. After interference with siRNA, we carried out qPCR, CCK8, EdU, and immunofluorescence experiments, and found that GNAI2 can promote the proliferation and inhibit differentiation of Hu sheep skeletal muscle cells. This study revealed the effects of GNAI2 and provided one of the regulatory mechanisms of IGFBP3 protein underlying sheep muscle development.

Effects of YAP1 on proliferation and differentiation of Hu sheep skeletal muscle satellite cells in vitro.

This study aimed to understand the expression level of YAP1 in the skeletal muscle of Hu sheep and to reveal the regulatory mechanism of YAP1 on Hu sheep skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs). Previous research by our group has found that YAP1 may affect the growth and development of Hu sheep skeletal muscle. In the present study, we found the expression of YAP1 in the skeletal muscle is higher than in other tissues of Hu sheep. Then, we detected the effect of YAP1 on proliferation and differentiation in Hu sheep SMSCs. According to the results of qPCR, CCK-8, EDU, and Western blot, compared to the group of negative control, overexpression of YAP1 promoted the proliferation and inhibited the differentiation of SMSCs according to the results of qPCR, CCK-8, EDU, Western blot, while the interference of YAP1 was on the contrary. Overall, our study suggests that YAP1 is an important functional molecule in the growth and development of skeletal muscle by regulating the proliferation and differentiation of SMSCs. These findings are of great use for understanding the roles of YAP1 in the skeletal muscle of Hu sheep.

Dysregulation of MiR-199a/IL8 pathway in chronic Cr (VI)-induced tumor growth and angiogenesis.

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a well-known environmental carcinogen. Recent studies revealed that chronic exposure of human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B, B2B) to Cr(VI) activated several signaling pathways and induced cell malignant transformation and tumor growth. However, new mechanisms of Cr(VI) in inducing carcinogenesis remains to be elucidated. This study showed that miR-199a expression levels were significantly lower in Cr(VI)-transformed Cr-T cells. By using the mouse model, the expression levels of miR-199a were significantly decreased in blood samples and lung tissues of mice intranasally exposed to Cr(VI) for 12 weeks compared to the solvent exposure control. Overexpression of miR-199a inhibited tube formation and angiogenesis. C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8, IL8) levels were significantly higher in blood samples of Cr (VI)-exposed workers compared to normal workers, and forced expression of miR-199a in the cells suppressed IL8 levels. miR-199a suppression induced expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 to increase IL8 expression. With animal experiment, the results showed that miR-199a overexpression inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis through inhibiting IL8, HIF-1α and NF-κB p65 expression in vivo. These results show that miR-199a/IL8 pathway is important in Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis and angiogenesis.

SOX18 Promotes the Proliferation of Dermal Papilla Cells via the Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

SRY-box transcription factor 18 (SOX18) is known to play a crucial role in the growth and development of hair follicles (HF) in both humans and mice. However, the specific effect of SOX18 on sheep hair follicles remains largely unknown. In our previous study, we observed that SOX18 was specifically expressed within dermal papilla cells (DPCs) in ovine hair follicles, leading us to investigate its potential role in the growth of hair follicles in sheep. In the present study, we aimed to examine the effect of SOX18 in DPCs and preliminarily study its regulatory mechanism through RNA-seq. We initially found that the overexpression of SOX18 promoted the proliferation of DPCs compared to the negative control group, while the interference of SOX18 had the opposite effect. To gain further insight into the regulatory mechanism of SOX18, we conducted RNA-seq analysis after knocking down SOX18 in Hu sheep DPCs. The result showed that the Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling pathway was involved in the growth process of DPC after SOX18 knockdown. Subsequently, we investigated the effect of SOX18 on the Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling pathway in DPCs using TOP/FOP-flash, qRT-PCR, and Western blot (WB) analysis. Our data demonstrated that SOX18 could activate the Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling pathway in DPCs. Additionally, we observed that SOX18 could rescue the proliferation of DPCs after inhibiting the Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling pathway. These findings underscore the essential role of SOX18 as a functional molecule governing the proliferation of DPCs. Additionally, these findings also greatly enhance our understanding of the role of SOX18 in the proliferation of DPCs and the growth of wool in Hu sheep.

Boron deficiency-induced root growth inhibition is mediated by brassinosteroid signalling regulation in Arabidopsis.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are pivotal phytohormones involved in the control of root development. Boron (B) is an essential micronutrient for plants, and root growth is rapidly inhibited under B deficiency conditions. However, the mechanisms underlying this inhibition are still unclear. Here, we identified BR-related processes underlying B deficiency at the physiological, genetic, molecular/cell biological and transcriptomic levels and found strong evidence that B deficiency can affect BR biosynthesis and signalling, thereby altering root growth. RNA sequencing analysis revealed strong co-regulation between BR-regulated genes and B deficiency-responsive genes. We found that the BR receptor mutants bri1-119 and bri1-301 were more insensitive to decreased B supply, and the gain-of-function mutants bes1-D and pBZR1-bzr1-D exhibited insensitivity to low-B stress. Under B deficiency conditions, exogenous 24-epibrassinolide rescued the inhibition of root growth, and application of the BR biosynthesis inhibitor brassinazole exacerbated this inhibitory effect. The nuclear-localised signal of BES1 was reduced under low-B conditions compared with B sufficiency conditions. We further found that B deficiency hindered the accumulation of brassinolide to downregulate BR signalling and modulate root elongation, which may occur through a reduction in BR6ox1 and BR6ox2 mRNA levels. Taken together, our results reveal a role of BR signalling in root elongation under B deficiency.

Functions of OsWRKY24, OsWRKY70 and OsWRKY53 in regulating grain size in rice.

MAIN CONCLUSION: OsWRKY24 functions redundantly with OsWRKY53, while OsWRKY70 functions differently from OsWRKY53 in regulating grain size. Grain size is a key agronomic trait that affects grain yield and quality in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The transcription factor OsWRKY53 positively regulates grain size through brassinosteroid (BR) signaling and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) cascades. However, whether the OsWRKY53 homologs OsWRKY24 and OsWRKY70 also contribute to grain size which remains unknown. Here, we report that grain size in OsWRKY24 overexpression lines and oswrky24 mutants is similar to that of the wild type. However, the oswrky24 oswrky53 double mutant produced smaller grains than the oswrky53 single mutant, indicating functional redundancy between OsWRKY24 and OsWRKY53. In addition, OsWRKY70 overexpression lines displayed an enlarged leaf angle, reduced plant height, longer grains, and higher BR sensitivity, phenotypes similar to those of OsWRKY53 overexpression lines. Importantly, a systematic characterization of seed length in the oswrky70 single, the oswrky53 oswrky70 double and the oswrky24 oswrky53 oswrky70 triple mutant indicated that loss of OsWRKY70 also leads to increased seed length, suggesting that OsWRKY70 might play a role distinct from that of OsWRKY53 in regulating grain size. Taken together, these findings suggest that OsWRKY24 and OsWRKY70 regulate rice grain size redundantly and independently from OsWRKY53.

Correction: EBV-miR-BART1-5P activates AMPK/mTOR/HIF1 pathway via a PTEN independent manner to promote glycolysis and angiogenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007484.].

The effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on modulating innate immunity and strategies of combating inflammatory response for COVID-19 therapy.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has caused huge causality and unquantifiable loss of social wealth. The innate immune response is the first line of defense against SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, strong inflammatory response associated with dysregulation of innate immunity causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and death. In this review, we update the current knowledge on how SARS-CoV-2 modulates the host innate immune response for its evasion from host defense and its corresponding pathogenesis caused by cytokine storm. We emphasize Type I interferon response and the strategies of evading innate immune defense used by SARS-CoV-2. We also extensively discuss the cells and their function involved in the innate immune response and inflammatory response, as well as the promises and challenges of drugs targeting excessive inflammation for antiviral treatment. This review would help us to figure out the current challenge questions of SARS-CoV-2 infection on innate immunity and directions for future studies.

Transcription factor bZIP65 delays flowering via suppressing Ehd1 expression in rice.

Flowering time is one of the most fundamental factors that determine the distribution and final yield of rice. Ehd1 (Early heading date 1) is a B-type response regulator which functions as a flowering time activator. Although diverse flowering time genes have been reported as regulatory factors of Ehd1 expression, the potential regulators of Ehd1 largely remain to be identified. Here, we identified a basic leucine zipper transcription factor bZIP65, a homolog of bZIP71, as a new negative regulator of Ehd1. The overexpression of bZIP65 delays flowering, while bzip65 mutants have similar flowering time to SJ2 (Songjing2) in both long-day and short-day conditions. Biochemically, bZIP65 associates with Ehd1 promoter and transcriptionally represses the expression of Ehd1. Moreover, we found that bZIP65 enhances H3K27me3 level of Ehd1. Taken together, we cloned a new gene, bZIP65, regulating rice heading date, and uncovered the mechanism of bZIP65 delaying flowering time, where bZIP65 increases the H3K27me3 level of Ehd1 and transcriptionally represses the expression of Ehd1, similar to its homolog bZIP71. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-022-01334-4.

Production of fengycin from D-xylose through the expression and metabolic regulation of the Dahms pathway.

D-Xylose is a key component of lignocellulosic biomass and the second-most abundant carbohydrate on the planet. As one of the most powerful cyclo-lipopeptide antibiotics, fengycin displays strong wide-spectrum antifungal and antiviral, as well as potential anti-cancer activity. Pyruvate is a key metabolite linking the biosynthesis of fatty acids and amino acids, the precursors for fengycin. In this study, the genes encoding the Dahms xylose-utilization pathway were integrated into the amyE site of Bacillus subtilis 168, and based on the metabolic characteristics of the Dahms pathway, the acetate kinase (ackA) and lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) genes were knocked out. Then, the metabolic control module II was designed to convert glycolaldehyde, another intermediate of the Dahms pathway, in addition to pathways for the conversion of acetaldehyde into malic acid and oxaloacetic acid, resulting in strain BSU03. In the presence of module II, the content of acetic and lactic acid decreased significantly, and the xylose uptake efficiency increased. At the same time, the yield of fengycin increased by 87% compared to the original strain. Additionally, the underlying factors for the increase of fengycin titer were revealed through metabonomic analysis. This study therefore demonstrates that this regulation approach can not only optimize the intracellular fluxes for the Dahms pathway, but is also conducive to the synthesis of secondary metabolites similar to fengycin. KEY POINTS: • The expression and effect of the Dahms pathway on the synthesis of fengycin in Bacillus subtilis 168. • The expression of regulatory module II can promote the metabolic rate of the Dahms pathway and increase the synthesis of the fengycin.

Preliminary study of melatonin in the proliferation and apoptosis of Hu sheep dermal papilla cells in vitro.

Previous studies have shown that melatonin has a certain regulatory effect on the growth of sheep wool. However, the mechanism of melatonin action remains unknown. In the present study, we aimed to understand the role of exogenous melatonin in the dermal papilla cells of Hu sheep. To confirm the optimal melatonin treatment regimen for Hu sheep dermal papilla cells, we detected the cell viability by exposing them to different concentrations of melatonin and different treatment times. The results showed that cell viability was best when dermal papilla cells were treated with 1000 pg/ml of melatonin for 48 h. According to the results of qPCR, CCK-8, EDU, Western blot, and Flow cytometry analysis, we found that 1000 pg/ml melatonin promoted the proliferation and inhibited the apoptosis of dermal papilla cells compared with the exogenous melatonin blank group (control group). Furthermore, we also found that 1000 pg/ml of melatonin promoted the cell cycle progress of dermal papilla cells according to the results of qPCR and Flow cytometry analysis. Overall, our findings showed that melatonin plays an important role in the dermal papilla cells of Hu sheep.