Skip to main content
Log in

Studies on nitrite reductase in barley

  • Published:
Planta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Nitrite reductase from barley seedlings was purified 50–60 fold by ammonium sulphate precipitation and gel filtration. No differences were established in the characteristics of nitrite reductases isolated in this way from either leaf or root tissues. The root enzyme accepted electrons from reduced methyl viologen, ferredoxin, or an unidentified endogenous cofactor. Enzyme activity in both tissues was markedly increased by growth on nitrate. This activity was not associated with sulphite reductase activity. Microbial contamination could not account for the presence of nitrite reductase activity in roots. Nitrite reductase assayed in vitro with reduced methyl viologen as the electron donor was inhibited by 2,4-dinitrophenol but not by arsenate.

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

DNP:

2,4-dinitrophenol

DEAE:

diethyl amino ethyl

References

  • Ahmad, J., Morris, I.: The effects of 2,4-dinitrophenol and other uncoupling agents on the assimilation of nitrate and nitrite by Chlorella. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 162, 32–38 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  • Beevers, L., Hageman, R. H.: Nitrate reduction in higher plants. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 20, 495–522 (1969).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bollard, E. G.: Nitrogenous compounds in plant xylem sap. Nature (Lond.) 178, 1189–1190 (1956).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourne, W. F., Miflin, B. J.: An ATP dependent reduction of nitrate to ammonia by a cell free particulate system from barley roots. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 40, 1305–1310 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  • Butt, V. S., Beeyers, H.: The regulation of pathways of glucose catabolism in maize roots. Biochem. J. 80, 21–27 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hageman, R. H., Cresswell, C. F., Hewitt, E. J.: Reduction of nitrate, nitrite and hydroxylamine to ammonia by enzymes from higher plants. Nature (Lond.) 193, 247–250 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hattori, A., Myers, J.: Reduction of nitrate and nitrite by subcellular preparations of Anabaena cydlindrica. Plant Physiol. 41, 1031–1036 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill, R., Bendall, F.: Crystallization of a photosynthetic reductase from a green plant. Nature (Lond.) 187, 417 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hucklesby, D. P., Dalling, M. J., Hageman, R. H.: Some properties of two forms of nitrite reductase from corn (Zea mays L.) Scutellum. Planta (Berl.) 104, 220–233 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  • Joy, K. W., Hageman, R. H.: The purification of nitrite reductase from higher plants and its dependence on ferredoxin. Biochem. J. 100, 263–273 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemp, J. D., Atkinson, D. E., Ehret, A., Lazzarini, R. A.: Evidence for the identity of the NADH phosphate specific sulphite and nitrite reductases of E. coli. J. biol. Chem. 238, 3466–3471 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, E.: Nitrate assimilation by plants. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 15, 57–72 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, E., Czygan, F. C.: Seasonal changes in the nitrate-reducing activity of a green algae (Ankistrodesmus braunii). Experientia (Basel) 19, 89–90 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowry, O. H., Rosenbrough, N. J., Farr, A. L., Randall, R. S.: Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J. biol. Chem. 193, 265–275 (1951).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, A. M.: Subcellular location of sulphite reductase in plant tissues. Plant Physiol. 42, 324–326 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  • Miflin, B. J.: Distribution of nitrate and nitrite reductase in barley. Nature (Lond.) 214, 1133–1134 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  • Miflin, B. J.: Nitrate and nitrite reductase systems in barley roots. Rev. roum. Biochim. 7, 53–60 (1970a).

    Google Scholar 

  • Miflin, B. J.: Studies on the subcellular location of particulate nitrate and nitrite reductase, glutamic dehydrogenase and other enzymes in barley roots. Planta (Berl.) 93, 160–170 (1970b).

    Google Scholar 

  • Paneque, A., Ramirez, J. M., Del Campo, F. F., Losada, M.: Light and dark reduction of nitrite in a reconstituted enzyme system. J. biol. Chem. 239, 1737–1741 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  • Russel, J. A.: The estimation of small amounts of ammonia by the phenol-hypochlorite reaction. J. biol. Chem. 156, 457–465 (1944).

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, L. M.: A direct microdetermination for sulphide. Analyt. Biochem. 11, 126–132 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  • Tagawa, K., Arnon, D. I.: Ferredoxins as electron carriers in photosynthesis and in the biological production of hydrogen gas. Nature (Lond.) 195, 537–543 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, W., Pate, J. S.: Nitrate reductase in the field pea. Ann. Botany 29, 655 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, W., Pate, J. S.: Nitrate assimilation in hihher plants with special reference to the Cockleburr. Ann. Botany 31, 213–228 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wessels, J. S. C.: DNP as a catalyst of photosynthetic phosphorylation. Biochem. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 36, 264–265 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bourne, W.F., Miflin, B.J. Studies on nitrite reductase in barley. Planta 111, 47–56 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386734

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386734

Keywords

Navigation