ISSN:
1432-2048
Keywords:
Key words: Activation state (nitrate reductase)
;
Hordeum (nitrate reductase)
;
Nitrate reductase
;
Nitrate supply
;
Phosphate deficiency
;
Signal metabolites
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract. The relation between nitrate reductase (NR; EC 1.6.6.1) activity, activation state and NR protein in leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings was investigated. Maximum NR activity (NRAmax) and NR protein content (Western blotting) were modified by growing plants hydroponically at low (0.3 mM) or high (10 mM) nitrate supply. In addition, plants were kept under short-day (8 h light/16 h dark) or long-day (16 h light/8 h dark) conditions in order to manipulate the concentration of nitrate stored in the leaves during the dark phase, and the concentrations of sugars and amino acids accumulated during the light phase, which are potential signalling compounds. Plants were also grown under phosphate deficiency in order to modify their glucose-6-phosphate content. In high-nitrate/long-day conditions, NRAmax and NR protein were almost constant during the whole light period. Low-nitrate/long-day plants had only about 30% of the NRAmax and NR protein of high-nitrate plants. In low-nitrate/long-day plants, NRAmax and NR protein decreased strongly during the second half of the light phase. The decrease was preceded by a strong decrease in the leaf nitrate content. Short daylength generally led to higher nitrate concentrations in leaves. Under short-day/low-nitrate conditions, NRAmax was slightly higher than under long-day conditions and remained almost constant during the day. This correlated with maintenance of higher nitrate concentrations during the short light period. The NR activation state in the light was very similar in high-nitrate and low-nitrate plants, but dark inactivation was twice as high in the high-nitrate plants. Thus, the low NRAmax in low-nitrate/long-day plants was slightly compensated by a higher activation state of NR. Such a partial compensation of a low NRmax by a higher dark activation state was not observed with phosphate-depleted plants. Total leaf concentrations of sugars, of glutamine and glutamate and of glucose-6-phosphate did not correlate with the NR activation state nor with NRAmax.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s004250050749
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