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Derepression of nitrate reductase from Derxia gummosa and some properties of the purified enzyme

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Abstract

The assimilatory NADH-nitrate reductase has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from the N2-fixing bacterium Derxia gummosa. This enzyme has a molecular weight of ∼ 175 kdaltons and is composed of two dissimilar subunits (88 and 80 kdaltons, respectively). Typical cytochrome b 557 spectra were observed for the purified enzyme, reduced with sodium dithionite.

Both ammonia and glutamine inhibited the induction of nitrate reductase in washed cells from cultures grown with NH4Cl. The inhibition by ammonia, but not that by glutamine was relieved by methionine sulphoximine. The induction of nitrate reductase was also inhibited by azaserine. In cells treated with methionine sulphoximine, glutamine content was decreased whereas it increased in those treated with azaserine. The synthesis of RNA during the derepression of nitrate reductase was also inhibited by glutamine. Thus glutamine is involved in regulating the derepression of nitrate reductase at the transcription level.

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Abbreviations

BVH:

reduced benzyl viologen

MVH:

reduced methyl viologen

MSX:

l-methionine-dl-sulphoximine

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Biochemistry, Waite Agricultural Research Institute, University of Adelaide, 5064, Glen Osmond, S.A., Australia

    Rongchen Wang & D. J. D. Nicholas

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  1. Rongchen Wang
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  2. D. J. D. Nicholas
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Wang, R., Nicholas, D.J.D. Derepression of nitrate reductase from Derxia gummosa and some properties of the purified enzyme. Arch. Microbiol. 145, 20–26 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00413022

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00413022

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