Abstract
The activities of glutamine synthetase (GS), nitrogenase and leghaemoglobin were measured during nodule development in Phaseolus vulgaris infected with wild-type or two non-fixing (Fix-) mutants of Rhizobium phaseoli. The large increase in GS activity which was observed during nodulation with the wild-type rhizobial strain occurred concomitantly with the detection and increase in activity of nitrogenase and the amount of leghaemoglobin. Moreover, this increase in GS was found to be due entirely to the appearance of a novel form of the enzyme (GSn1) in the nodule. The activity of the form (GSn2) similar to the root enzyme (GSr) remained constant throughout the experiment. In nodules produced by infection with the two mutant strains of Rhizobium phaseoli (JL15 and JL19) only trace amounts of GSn1 and leghaemoglobin were detected.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- DEAE-Sephacel:
-
diethylaminoethyl-Sephacel
- GS:
-
glutamine synthetase
References
Auger, S., Verma, D.P.S. (1981) Induction and expression of nodule specific host genes in effective and ineffective root nodules of soybean Glycine max cultivar Prize. Biochemistry 20, 1300–1306
Bergersen, F.J., Turner, G.L., Appleby, C.A. (1973) Studies of the physiological role of leghaemoglobin in soybean root nodules. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 292, 271–282
Bisseling, T., Van Den Bos, R.C., Westrate, M.W., Hakkaart, M.J., Van Kammen, A. (1979) Development of the nitrogen-fixing and protein-synthesizing apparatus of bacteroids in pea root nodules. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 562, 515–526
Cullimore, J.V., Lara, M., Lea, P.J., Miflin, B.J. (1983) Purification and properties of two forms of glutamine synthetase from the plant fraction of Phaseolus root nodules. Planta 157, 245–253
Cullimore, J.V., Sims, A.P. (1980) An association between photorespiration and protein catabolism: studies with Chlamydomonas. Planta 150, 392–396
Dart, P.J., Day, J.M., Harris, D. (1972) Assay of nitrogenase activity by acetylene reduction. In: Use of isotopes for study of fertilizer utilisation by legume crops. J. FAO/IAEA Tech. Rep. Ser. 149, 85–97
Dye, M. (1979) Functions and maintenance of a Rhizobium collection. In: Recent advances in biological nitrogen fixation, pp. 435–471, Subba Rao, N.S., ed. Oxford & IBH Publ. Co., New Delhi
Groat, R.G., Vance, C.P. (1982) Root and nodule enzymes of ammonia assimilation in two plant conditioned symbiotically ineffective genotypes of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Plant Physiol. 69, 614–618
Johnston, A.W.B., Beynon, J.L., Buchanan-Woolaston, A.V., Setchell, S.M., Hirsch, P.B., Beringer, J.E. (1978) High frequency transfer of nodulation ability between strains and species of Rhizobium. Nature (London) 276, 634–636
Lamb, J.W., Hombrecker, G., Johnston, A.W.B. (1982) Plasmid-determined nodulation and nitrogen-fixing abilities in Rhizobium phaseoli. Mol. Gen. Genet. 186, 449–452
Legocki, R.P., Verma, D.P.S. (1980) Identification of nodule specific host proteins (nodulins) involved in the development of Rhizobium-legume symbiosis. Cell 20, 153–164
Leonard, L.T. (1943) A simple assembly for use in testing cultures of rhizobia. J. Bacteriol. 45, 523–525
McParland, R.H., Guevara, J.G., Becker, R.R., Evans, H.J. (1976) The purification of the glutamine synthetase from the cytosol of soya-bean root nodules. Biochem. J. 153, 597–606
Meeks, J.C., Wolk, C.P., Schilling, N., Schaffer, P.W., Avissor, Y., Chien, W.-S. (1978) Initial organic products of 13N dinitrogen fixation by root nodules of soybean (Glycine max). Plant Physiol 61, 980–983
Miflin, B.J., Lea, P.J. (1982) Ammonia assimilation and amino acid metabolism. In: Nucleic acids and proteins in plants, vol. 1, pp. 5–64, Boulter, D., Parthier, B., eds. Springer. Berlin Heidelberg New York
Ohyama, T., Kumazawa, K. (1980) Nitrogen assimilation in soybean nodules. I. The role of GS/GOGAT system in the assimilation of ammonia produced by N2 fixation. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr. (Tokyo) 26, 109–115
Robertson, J.G., Farnden, K.J.F. (1980) Ultrastructure and metabolism of the developing legume root nodule. In: The biochemistry of plants, vol. 5, pp. 65–113, Miflin, B.J., ed. Academic Press, New York London
Robertson, J.G., Farnden, K.J.F., Banks, J.M. (1975a) Induction of glutamine synthetase during nodule development in lupin. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 2, 265–272
Robertson, J.G., Warburton, M.P., Farnden, K.J.F. (1975b) Induction of glutamate synthase during nodule development in lupin. FEBS Lett. 55, 33–37
Sen, D., Schulman, H.M. (1980) Enzymes of ammonia assimilation in the cytosol of developing soybean root nodules. New Phytol. 85, 243–250
Verma, D.P.S. (1980) Expression of host genes during symbiotic nitrogen fixation. In: Genome organization and expression in plants, pp. 439–452, Leaver, C., ed Plenum Press, New York London
Verma, D.P.S., Ball, S., Guerin, C., Wanamaker, L. (1979) Leghaemoglobin biosynthesis in soybean root nodules. Characterization of the nascent and released peptides and the relative rate of synthesis of the major leghaemoglobins. Biochemistry 18, 476–483
Verma, D.P.S., Haugland, R., Brisson, N., Legocki, R.P., Lacroix, L. (1981) Regulation of the expression of leghaemoglobin genes in effective and ineffective root nodules of soybean (Glycine max). Biochim. Biophys. Acta 653, 98–107
Werner, D., Morschel, E., Stripf, R., Winchenbach, B. (1980) Development of nodules of Glycine max infected with an ineffective strain of Rhizobium japonicum. Planta 147, 320–329
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lara, M., Cullimore, J.V., Lea, P.J. et al. Appearance of a novel form of plant glutamine synthetase during nodule development in Phaseolus vulgaris L.. Planta 157, 254–258 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00405190
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00405190