ISSN:
1432-2048
Keywords:
Key words: Amino acid – Glutamine synthetase – Nitrate assimilation – Nitrate reductase –Nicotiana (sulfur-deprivation) – Sulfur-deprivation
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants were subjected to a prolonged period of sulfur-deprivation to characterize molecular and metabolic mechanisms that permit control of primary N-metabolism under these conditions. Prior to the appearance of chlorotic lesions, sulfur-deprived tobacco leaves showed a strong decrease in the sulfate content and changes in foliar enzyme activities, mRNA accumulation and amino-acid pools. The basic amino acids glutamine, asparagine and arginine accumulated in the leaves of sulfur-deprived plants, while the foliar concentrations of aspartate, glutamate, serine or alanine remained fairly unchanged. Maximal extractable nitrate reductase (NR; EC 1.6.6.1) activity decreased strongly in response to sulfur-deprivation. The decrease in maximal extractable NR activity was accompanied by a decline in NR transcripts while the mRNAs of the plastidic glutamine synthetase (EC 6.1.3.2) or the β-subunit of the mitochondrial ATP synthase were much less affected. Nitrate first accumulated in leaves of tobacco during sulfur-deprivation but then declined. An appreciable amount of nitrate was, however, present in severely sulfur-depleted leaves. The repression of NR gene expression is, therefore, not related to the decrease in the leaf nitrate level. However, glutamine- and/or asparagine-mediated repression of NR gene transcription is a possible mechanism of control in situations when glutamine and asparagine accumulate in leaves and provides a feasible explanation for the reduction in NR activity during sulfur-deprivation. The removal of reduced nitrogen from primary metabolism by redirection and storage as arginine, asparagine or glutamine combined with the down-regulation of nitrate reduction via glutamine- and/or asparagine-mediated repression of NR gene transcription may contribute to maintaining a normal N/S balance during sulfur-deprivation and indicate that the co-ordination of N- and S-metabolism is retained under these conditions.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s004250000322
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