Abstract
The cellular distribution of enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation: nitrate reductase (EC 1.6.6.2), nitrite reductase (EC 1.6.6.4), glutamine synthetase (EC 6.3.1.2), glutamate synthase (EC 2.6.1.53), and glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.3) has been studied in the roots of five plants: maize (Zea mays L. hybrid W 64A x W 182E), rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Delta), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Contender), pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Demi-nain), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Initially, cell organelles were separated from soluble proteins by differential centrifugation. Cell organelles were also subjected to sucrose density gradients. The results obtained by these two methods indicate that nitrite reductase and glutamate synthase are localized in plastids, nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase are present in the cytosol, and glutamate dehydrogenase is a mitochondrial enzyme.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beevers, H. (1979) Microbodies in higher plants. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 30, 159–193
Bergmeyer, H.U. (1965) Spectrophotometric method. In: Methods of enzymatic analysis, p 886, Bergmeyer, H.U., ed. Weinheim, Verl. Chemie, New York London Academic Press
Dalling, M.J., Tolbert, N.E., Hageman, R.H. (1972) Intracellular locationof nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase. II. Wheat roots. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 283, 513–519
Dougall, D.K. (1974) Evidence for the presence of glutamic synthase in extracts of carrot cell cultures. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 58, 639–646
Emes, M.J., Fowler, M.W. (1979) The intracellular location of the enzymes of nitrate assimilation in the apicies of seedling pea roots. Planta 194, 249–253
Fawole, M.O., Boulter, D. (1977) Purification and properties of glutamate dehydrogenase from Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. Planta 134, 97–102
Gibbs, M., Turner, J.F. (1964) Enzymes of glycolysis. In: Modern methods of plant analysis, vol. VII, p. 520, Linskens, H.F., Sanwal, B.D., Tracey, M.V., eds. Springer Verlag, New York Heidelberg Berlin
Givan, C.V., Givan, A.L., Leech, R. (1970) Photoreduction of α-cetoglutarate to glutamate by Vicia faba chloroplasts. Plant Physiol. 45, 624–630
Grant, B.P., Atkins, G.A., Canvin, D.T. (1970) Intracellular location of nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase in spinach and sunflower leaves. Planta 94, 60–72
Guiz, C., Hirel, B., Shedlofsky, G., Gadal, P. (1979) Occurrence and influence of light on the relative proportions of two glutamine synthetases in rice leaves. Plant Sci. Lett. 15, 271–277
Hatch, M.D. (1978) A simple spectrophotometric assay for fumarate hydratase in crude tissue extracts. Anal. Biochem. 85, 271–275
Herbert, M., Burkhard, Ch., Schnarrenberger, C. (1979) A survey for isoenzymes of glucose phosphate isomerase, phosphoglucomutase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in C3-, C4- and crassulacean-acid-metabolism plants, and green algae. Planta 145, 95–104
Hirel, B., Gadal, P. (1980) Glutamine synthetase in rice. A comparative study of the enzymes from roots and leaves. Plant Physiol. 66, 619–623
Hucklesby, D.P., Dalling, M.J., Hageman, R.H. (1972) Some properties of two forms of nitrite reductase from corn (Zea mays L.) scutellum. Planta 104, 220–233
Keys, A.J., Bird, I.F., Cornellius, M.J., Lea, P.J., Wallsgrove, R.M., Miflin, B.J. (1978) Photorespiratory nitrogen cycle. Nature (London) 275, 741–743
King, J., Wu, Y.W. (1971) Partial purification and kinetic properties of glutamic dehydrogenase from soybean cotyledons. Phytochemistry 10, 915–928
Lockard, R.G. (1959) In: Sand and water culture methods. Table 30C, p. 547, Hewitt, E.J. ed.
Magalhaes, A.C., Neyra, A.C.A., Hageman, R.H. (1974) Nitrite assimilation and amino nitrogen synthesis in isolated spinach chloroplasts. Plant Physiol. 53, 411–415
Mann, A.F., Fentem, P.A., Stewart, G.R. (1979) Identification of two forms of glutamine synthetase in barley (Hordeum vulgare). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 88, 515–521
Miflin, B.J. (1974) The location of nitrite reductase and other enzymes related to amino acid biosynthesis in the plastids of roots and leaves. Plant Physiol. 54, 550–555
Miflin, B.J., Lea, P.J. (1976) The pathway of nitrogen assimilation in plants. Phytochemistry 15, 873–885
Miflin, B.J., Beevers, H. (1974) Isolation of intact plastids from a range of plant tissues. Plant Physiol. 53, 870–874
Nishimura, M., Beevers, H. (1978) Isolation of intact plastids from castor bean endosperm. Plant Physiol. 62, 40–43
Nishimura, M., Graham, D., Akazawa, T. (1976) Isolation of intact chloroplasts and other cell organelles from spinach leaf protoplasts. Plant Physiol. 58, 309–314
Oaks, A., Gadal, P. (in press) Nitrate utilization in cells of higher plants. In: Cell compartmentation and metabolic channelling. Leopoldina symposium, Halle, DDR
O'Neal, D., Joy, K.W. (1973) Glutamine synthetase of pea leaves. Purification, stabilization and pH optima. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 159, 113–122
Rathnam, C.K.M., Edwards, G.E. (1976) Distribution of nitrate assimilating enzymes between mesophyll protoplasts and bundle sheath cells in leaves of three groups of C4 plants. Plant Physiol. 57, 881–885
Rhodes, D., Rendon, G.A., Stewart, G.R. (1975) The control of glutamine synthetase level in Lemna minor L. Planta 125, 201–211
Schnarrenberger, C., Oeser, A., Tolbert, N.E. (1972) Isolation of plastids from sunflower cotyledons during germination. Plant Physiol. 50, 55–59
Shen, T.C. (1972) Variation in the nitrate reductase of rice seedlings. Planta 108, 21–28
Stasiewicz, S., Dunham, V.L. (1979) Isolation and characterization of two forms of glutamine synthetase from soybean hypocotyl. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 87, 627–634
Stulen, I., Oaks, A. (1977) Asparagine synthetase in corn roots. Plant Physiol. 60, 680–683
Vick, B., Beevers, H. (1978) Fatty acid synthesis in endosperm of young castor bean seedlings. Plant Physiol. 62, 173–178
Wallsgrove, R.M., Lea, P.J., Miflin, B.J. (1979) Distribution of enzymes of nitrogen assimilation within the pea leaf cell. Plant Physiol. 63, 232–236
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Suzuki, A., Gadal, P. & Oaks, A. Intracellular distribution of enzymes associated with nitrogen assimilation in roots. Planta 151, 457–461 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386539
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386539