| Summary: | Melatonin can increase plant resistance to stress, and exogenous melatonin has been reported to promote stress resistance in plants. In this study, a melatonin biosynthesis-related <i>SlCOMT1</i> gene was cloned from tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> Mill. cv. <i>Ailsa Craig</i>), which is highly expressed in fruits compared with other organs. The protein was found to locate in the cytoplasm. Melatonin content in <i>SlCOMT1</i> overexpression transgenic tomato plants was significantly higher than that in wild-type plants. Under 800 mM NaCl stress, the transcript level of <i>SlCOMT1</i> in tomato leaf was positively related to the melatonin contents. Furthermore, compared with that in wild-type plants, levels of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide were lower while the content of proline was higher in <i>SlCOMT1</i> transgenic tomatoes. Therefore, <i>SlCOMT1</i> was closely associated with melatonin biosynthesis confers the significant salt tolerance, providing a clue to cope with the growing global problem of salination in agricultural production.
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