Skip to main content
Log in

Appearance of a novel form of plant glutamine synthetase during nodule development in Phaseolus vulgaris L.

  • Published:
Planta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • Cullimore, J.V., Sims, A.P. (1980) An association between photorespiration and protein catabolism: studies with Chlamydomonas. Planta 150, 392–396

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • Leonard, L.T. (1943) A simple assembly for use in testing cultures of rhizobia. J. Bacteriol. 45, 523–525

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen, D., Schulman, H.M. (1980) Enzymes of ammonia assimilation in the cytosol of developing soybean root nodules. New Phytol. 85, 243–250

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints 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

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00405190

Key words

Navigation