不同NH4^＋／NO3^-比例的氮素营养对棉花氮素代谢的影响

The influence of different NH4^+／NO3^- ratios on nitrogen metabolism of cotton was studied under controlled hydroponics, The results showed that compared with single nitrate nutrition, solutions with 25/75, 50/50, 75/25 and 100/0 of NH4^+／NO3^- significantly increased the soluble protein accumulation in leaves and roots of cotton, and the maximum content of soluble protein in leaves and roots appeared respectively in the solution with 50/50 and 75/25 of NH4^+／NO3^- The soluble protein content in roots was increased with the increase of NH4+ percentage, but was slightly less in the solution of 100/0 than 75/25, which was probably related to the excess NH4^+ limiting boot metabolism. With the increase of NH4+ percentage, the nitrate content in petiole and the nitrate reductase activity in functional blade declined, but ammoniac nitrogen content increased in every organ of cotton. These results showed that foreign nitrogen affected the nitrogen metabolism of cotton in a different way, and the nitrogen absorption by cotton was probably related to different forms of foreign nitrogen.     

Changes in Growth and Nitrogen Assimilation in Maize Plants Induced by NaCl and Growth Regulators

Experiments were conducted to determine the interactive effects of salinity and certain growth regulators on growth and nitrogen assimilation in maize (Zea mays L. cv. GS-2). 100 mM NaCl inhibited the biomass accumulation, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in leaves, nitrate content and uptake and nitrate reductase activity. The application of kinetin, ascorbic acid and 10 and 50 μM abscisic acid in the first experiment and 50 and 100 μM abscisic acid in the second experiment induced a substantial increase in the above parameters, the effect was highest with abscisic acid in salinized as well as non-salinized plants. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of Local Nitrogen Supply on Water Uptake of Bean Plants in a Split Root System

To study the effects of local nitrogen supply on water and nutrient absorption, French bean （Phaseolus vulgaris L.） plants were grown in a split root system. Five treatments supplied with different nitrogen forms were compared： homogeneous nitrate （NN） and homogenous ammonium （AA） supply, spatially separated supply of nitrate and ammonium （NA）, half of the root system supplied with N-free nutrient solution, the other half with either nitrate （NO） or ammonium （AO）. The results showed that 10 d after onset of treatments, root dry matter （DM） in the nitratesupplied vessels treated with NA was more than two times higher than that in the ammonium-supplied vessels. Water uptake from the nitrate-supplied vessels treated with NA was 281% higher than under ammonium supply. In treatments NO and AO, the local supply of N resulted in clearly higher root DM, and water uptake from the nitratesupplied vessels was 82% higher than in the -N vessels. However, in AO plants, water uptake from the -N nutrient solution was 129% higher than from the ammonium-supplied vessels. This indicates a compensatory effect, which resulted in almost identical rates of total water uptake of treatments AA and AO, which had comparable shoot DM and leaf area. Ammonium supply reduced potassium and magnesium absorption. Water uptake was positively correlated with N, Mg and K uptake.     

Using iron fertilizer to control Cd accumulation in rice plants: A new promising technology

Effects of two kinds of iron fertilizer, FeSO4 and EDTA·Na2Fe were studied on cadmium accumulation in rice plants with two rice genotypes, Zhongzao 22 and Zhongjiazao 02, with soil culture systems. The results showed that application of iron fertilizers could hardly make adverse effects on plant growth and rice grain yield. Soil application of EDTA·Na2Fe significantly reduced the Cd accumulation in rice roots, shoots and rice grain. Cd concentration in white rice of both rice genotypes in the treatment of soil application of EDTA·Na2Fe was much lower than 0.2 mg/kg, the maximal Cd permission concentra- tion in cereal crop foods in State standard. However, soil application of FeSO4 or foliar application of FeSO4 or EDTA·Na2Fe resulted in the significant increase of Cd accumulation in rice plants including rice grain compared with the control. The results also showed iron fertilizers increased the concentra- tion of iron, copper and manganese element in rice grain and also affected zinc concentration in plants. It may be a new promising way to regulate Cd accumulation in rice grain in rice production through soil application of EDTA·Na2Fe fertilizers to maintain higher content of available iron and ferrous iron in soils.     

Effects of nitrogen on the tolerance of brown planthopper, Nilaparvata Lugens, to adverse environmental factors

The effect of nitrogen content in rice plants on the tolerance of brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens Stal to high temperature, starvation and insecticide, was studied in the laboratory at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines. Survival of nymphs and adults, fecundity and egg hatchability were significantly increased by the increase of nitrogen content in host plants at 38℃. Moreover, the survival of nymphs,fecundity and egg hatchability were significantly higher in BPH populations on rice plants with a high nitrogen regimen than those on rice plants with a low nitrogen regimen.Meanwhile, the tolerance of female adults to starvation and nymphs to growth regulator buprofezin on rice plants with a high nitrogen regimen were slightly increased. This indicates that the tolerances of BPH to adverse environmental stresses were positively increased by the application of nitrogenous fertilizer. The outbreak potential of BPH induced by the excessive application of fertilizer in rice fields was also discussed.     

The anti-photooxidation of anthocyanins-rich leaves of a purple rice cultivar

In the leaf of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar Yunnan purple rice,the anthocyanins with an obvious absorption peak at 530nm were distributed in the cells of upper and lower epidermis,bulliform tissue and bristle. The maximal photosynthetic oxygen evolution rate and chlorophyll content in flag leaves were 28% and 23%,respectively,more than the common green leaf rice cultivar Chijiaoru-anzhan. Higher chlorophyll content is probably one of the physiological adaptations for enhancing light harvesting capacity of the antenna in photosystems in this cyanic leaves species. Upon the photooxidation of leaf segments mediated by methyl viologen in weak light for 3 days,the distinct bleaching of anthocyanins in purple rice was associated with the reduction of scavenging ability to DPPH· free radical ability and the increase in membrane leakage rate. But almost no changes in contents of flavonoids and total phenolics were observed. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters Fv/Fo,qP and φPSⅡ decreased with the increase in NPQ and DES of xanthophylls cycle after photooxidation treatment. Green rice leaves showed more decrease in DPPH· scavenging rate and more increase in cell membrane leakage rate but showed a trace of anthocyanins during photooxidation. It is sug-gested that anthocyanin may be a beneficial and primary antioxidant in sun cyanic rice leaves against oxidative stress induced by environmental adversity. And photooxidation could induce different changing patterns of anthocyanins between the tested purple and green rice leaves.     

LSCHL4 from Japonica Cultivar,Which Is Allelic to NAL 1, Increases Yield of Indica Super Rice 93-11

The basic premise of high yield in rice is to improve leaf photosynthetic efficiency and coordinate the sourcesink relationship in rice plants. Quantitative trait loci （QTLs） related to morphological traits and chlorophyll content of rice leaves were detected at the stages of heading to maturity, and a major QTL （qLSCHL4） related to flag leaf shape and chlorophyll content was detected at both stages in recombinant inbred lines constructed using the indica rice cultivar 93-11 and the japonica rice cultivar Nipponbare. Map-based cloning and expression analysis showed that LSCHL4 is allelic to NAL1, a gene previously reported in narrow leaf mutant of rice. Overexpression lines transformed with vector carrying LSCHL4 from Nipponbare and a near-isogenic line of 93-11 （NIL-9311） had significantly increased leaf chlorophyll content, enlarged flag leaf size, and improved panicle type. The average yield of NIL-9311 was 18.70% higher than that of 93-11. These results indicate that LSCHL4 had a pleiotropic function. Exploring and pyramiding more high-yield alleles resem- bling LSCHL4 for super rice breeding provides an effective way to achieve new breakthroughs in raising rice yield and generate new ideas for solving the problem of global food safety.     

Genetic Transformation of Tobacco with the Trehalose Synthase Gene from Grifola frondosa Fr. Enhances the Resistance to Drought and Salt in Tobacco

Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide of glucose that functions as a protectant in the stabilization of biological structures and enhances the tolerance of organisms to abiotic stress. In the present study, we report on the expression of the Grifolafrondosa Fr. trehalose synthase (TSase) gene for manipulating abiotic stress tolerance in tobacco (Nicotiana tabaccum L.). The expression of the transgene was under the control of two tandem copies of the CaMV35S promoter and was transferred into tobacco by Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105. Compared with non-transgenic plants, transgenic plants were able to accumulate high levels of products of trehalose, which were increased up to 2.126-2.556 mg/g FW, although levels were undetectable in non-transgenic plants. This level of trehalose in transgenic plants was 400-fold higher than that of transgenic tobacco plants cotransformed with Escherichia coli TPS and TPP on independent expression cassettes, twofold higher than that of transgenic rice plants transformed with a bifunctional fusion gene (TPSP) of the trehalose-6-phosphate (T-6-P) synthase (TPS) and T-6-P phosphatase(TPP) of E. coil, and 12-fold higher than that of transgenic tobacco plants transformed the yeast TPS1 gene.It has been reported that transgenic plants with E. coil TPS and/or TPP were severely stunted and had morphological alterations of their roots. Interestingly, our transgenic plants have obvious morphological changes, including thick and deep-coloured leaves, but show no growth inhibition; moreover, these morphological changes can restore to normal type in T2 progenies. Trehalose accumulation in 35S-35S:TSase plants resulted in increased tolerance to drought and salt, as shown by the results of tests on drought, salt tolerance, and drought physiological indices, such as water content in excised leaves, malondialdehyde content, chlorophyll a and b contents, and the activity of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase in excised leaves. These results suggest that transgenic plants transformed with the TSase gene can accumulate high levels of trehalose and have enhanced tolerance to drought and salt.     

Antisense-Mediated Depletion of Tomato Chloroplast Omega-3 Fatty Acid Desaturase Enhances Thermal Tolerance

A chloroplast-localized tomato （Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.） ω-3 fatty acid desaturase gene （LeFADT） was isolated and characterized with regard to its sequence, response to various temperatures, and function in antisense transgenic tomato plants. The deduced amino acid sequence had four histidine-rich regions, of which three regions were highly conserved throughout the whole ω-3 fatty acid desaturasegene family. Southern blotting analysis showed that LeFAD7was encoded by a single copy gene and had two homologous genes in the tomato genome. Northern blot showed that LeFAD7 was expressed in all organs and was especially abundant in leaf tissue. Meanwhile, expression of LeFAD7 was induced by chilling stress （4 ℃）, but was inhibited by high temperature （45 ℃）, in leaves. Transgenic tomato plants were produced by integration of the antisense LeFAD7DNA under the control of a CaMV35S promoter into the genome. Antisense transgenic plants with lower 18 ： 3 content could maintain a higher maximal photochemical efficiency （Fv/Fm） and O2 evolution rate than wild-type plants. These results suggested that silence of the LeFAD7 gene alleviated high-temperature stress. There was also a correlation between the low content of 18 ： 3 resulting from silence of the LeFAD7 gene and tolerance to high-temperature stress.     

Oxalate Accumulation as Regulated by Nitrogen Forms and Its Relationship to Photosynthesis in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Four-leaf rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.), which had been cultivated in Kimura B complete nutrient solution, were treated with two nitrogen forms by replacing the nitrogen element in the complete solution with sole nitrate or ammonium (2.86 mmol/L). Nitrate-N nutrition tended to increase oxalate content in all parts of the plant, including the leaves, stems, roots, and root exudates, whereas ammonium had the opposite effect. Consequently, marked differences in oxalate content were observed between the two treatments throughout the time tested (0--12 d), with maximal differences of approximately 12-fold at 6 d after treatment. Photosynthetic/respiratory parameters were examined over time simultaneously with changes in oxalate content. Net photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (i.e. maximal photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) and photochemical quantum yields of photosystem (PS)Ⅱ (φ PSⅡ)), and respiratory rate were not significantly different between plants treated with the two nitrogen forms, although ammonium-fed plants had apparently higher leaf chlorophyll content than nitrate-fed plants. Leaf glucose content was altered little, but the content of fructose, sucrose, and total soluble sugar was significantly higher in the leaves of ammonium-fed plants than nitrate-fed plants, The results indicate that nitrate/ammonium may serve as efficient regulators of oxalate accumulation owing to regulation of metabolism in rice leaves rather than oxalate downward transfer and root excretion, and that photosynthetic metabolism is not directly correlated with the regulation of oxalate accumulation in rice plants.     

Pea responses to saline stress is affected by the source of nitrogen nutrition (ammonium or nitrate)

The effect of the source of nitrogen nutrition (ammonium or nitrate), onthe response of pea plants to a moderate saline stress (30 mMNaCl)was studied. Growth declined under saline stress but nitrate-fed plants wereless sensitive to salinity than ammonium-fed plants. This different sensitivitywas due mainly to a better maintenance of root growth in nitrate-fed plants.Organic nitrogen content decreased significantly in roots of ammonium-fedplants. Water relations changed slightly under saline stress leading to adecrease in stomatal conductance, which was correlated to a decline in carbonassimilation rates regardless of nitrogen source. Salinity affects the uptakeofseveral nutrients in a different way, depending on the nitrogen source. Thus,chloride was accumulated mainly in nitrate-fed plants, displacing nitrate,whereas sodium was accumulated mainly in ammonium-fed plants, especially inroots, displacing other cations such as ammonium and potassium. It is concludedthat the nitrogen source (ammonium or nitrate) is a major factor affecting pearesponses to saline stress, plants being more sensitive when ammonium is thesource used. The different sensitivity is discussed in terms of a competitionfor energy between nitrogen assimilation and sodium exclusion processes.     

Interaction of sulfur and nitrogen nutrition in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants: significance of nitrogen source and root nitrate reductase

Abstract: The significance of root nitrate reductase for sulfur assimilation was studied in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants. For this purpose, uptake, assimilation, and long-distance transport of sulfur were compared between wild-type tobacco and transformants lacking root nitrate reductase, cultivated either with nitrate or with ammonium nitrate. A recently developed empirical model of plant internal nitrogen cycling was adapted to sulfur and applied to characterise whole plant sulfur relations in wild-type tobacco and the transformant. Both transformation and nitrogen nutrition strongly affected sulfur pools and sulfur fluxes. Transformation decreased the rate of sulfate uptake in nitrate-grown plants and root sulfate and total sulfur contents in root biomass, irrespective of N nutrition. Nevertheless, glutathione levels were enhanced in the roots of transformed plants. This may be a consequence of enhanced APR activity in the leaves that also resulted in enhanced organic sulfur content in the leaves of the tranformants. The lack of nitrate reductase in the roots in the transformants caused regulatory changes in sulfur metabolism that resembled those observed under nitrogen deficiency. Nitrate nutrition reduced total sulfur content and all the major fractions analysed in the leaves, but not in the roots, compared to ammonium nitrate supply. The enhanced organic sulfur and glutathione levels in ammonium nitrate-fed plants corresponded well to elevated APR activity. But foliar sulfate contents also increased due to decreased re-allocation of sulfate into the phloem of ammonium nitrate-fed plants. Further studies will elucidate whether this decrease is achieved by downregulation of a specific sulfate transporter in vascular tissues.     

Oxalate accumulation and regulation is independent of glycolate oxidase in rice leaves

Cellular oxalate, widely distributed in many plants, is implicated to play important roles in various functions and is also known to affect food qualities adversely in fruits and vegetables. How oxalate is regulated in plants is currently not well understood. Glycolate oxidase (GLO) has long been considered as an important player in oxalate accumulation in plants. To gain further insight into the biochemical and molecular mechanisms, the possible roles of GLO in the process were studied. Drastically different levels of oxalate could be achieved by treating rice with various nitrogen forms (nitrate versus ammonium). While nitrate stimulated oxalate accumulation, ammonium reduced its level. Such treatments resulted in similar pattern changes for some other related organic acids, such as glycolate, oxaloacetate, and malate. By feeding plants with exogenous glycolate it was possible almost completely to restore the ammonium-decreased oxalate level. Under the two treatments few differences were observed for GLO mRNA levels, protein levels, and in vitro activities. Both K(m) for glycolate/glyoxylate and K(i) for oxalate remained almost the same for GLO purified from either nitrate- or ammonium-fed leaves. A further in vivo study, with transgenic plants carrying an estradiol-inducible GLO antisense gene, showed that, while the estradiol-induced antisense expression remarkably reduced both GLO protein levels and activities, oxalate levels were not significantly altered in the estradiol-treated transgenic plants. Taken together, it is suggested that oxalate accumulation and regulation is independent of GLO in rice leaves.     

Change in uptake, transport and accumulation of ions in Nerium oleander (rosebay) as affected by different nitrogen sources and salinity

Background and Aims

The source of nitrogen plays an important role in salt tolerance of plants. In this study, the effects of NaCl on net uptake, accumulation and transport of ions were investigated in Nerium oleander with ammonium or nitrate as the nitrogen source in order to analyse differences in uptake and cycling of ions within plants.

Methods

Plants were grown in a greenhouse in hydroponics under different salt treatments (control vs. 100 mm NaCl) with ammonium or nitrate as the nitrogen source, and changes in ion concentration in plants, xylem sap exuded from roots and stems, and phloem sap were determined.

Key Results

Plant weight, leaf area and photosynthetic rate showed a higher salt tolerance of nitrate-fed plants compared with that of ammonium-fed plants. The total amount of Na⁺ transported in the xylem in roots, accumulated in the shoot and retranslocated in the phloem of ammonium-fed plants under salt treatment was 1·8, 1·9 and 2·7 times more, respectively, than that of nitrate-treated plants. However, the amount of Na⁺ accumulated in roots in nitrate-fed plants was about 1·5 times higher than that in ammonium-fed plants. Similarly, Cl⁻ transport via the xylem to the shoot and its retranslocation via the phloem (Cl⁻ cycling) were far greater with ammonium treatment than with nitrate treatment under conditions of salinity. The uptake and accumulation of K⁺ in shoots decreased more due to salinity in ammonium-fed plants compared with nitrate-fed plants. In contrast, K⁺ cycling in shoots increased due to salinity, with higher rates in the ammonium-treated plants.

Conclusions

The faster growth of nitrate-fed plants under conditions of salinity was associated with a lower transport and accumulation of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in the shoot, whereas in ammonium-fed plants accumulation and cycling of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in shoots probably caused harmful effects and reduced growth of plants.Key words: Mineral cycling, Nerium oleander, nitrogen source, salinity, xylem and phloem transport     

Nitrogen assimilation and transport in carob plants

Most of the nitrate reductase activity (80%;) in carob ( Ceratonia siliqua L. cv. Mulata) is localised in the roots. The nitrate concentration in the leaves is relatively low compared to that in the roots, suggesting that nitrate influx into the leaf may be a major factor limiting the levels of nitrate reductase in the shoot. Transport of nitrate from root to shoot appears limited by the entrance of nitrate into the xylem. In order to study this problem, we determined the nitrate concentrations and nitrate reductase activities along the roots of nitrate-grown plants, as well as the composition of the xylem sap and the nitrate levels in the leaves. Some of the the bypocotyl, in order to bypass the loading of nitrate into the xylem of the roots. The results show that the loading of nitrate into the xylem is a limiting step.
The cation and anion concentrations of nitrate- and ammonium-fed plants were similar, showing almost no production of organic anions. In both nitrate- and ammonium-fed plants, the transport of nitrogen from root to shoot was in the form of organic nitrogen compounds. The nitrate reductase activity in the roots was more than sufficient to explain all the efflux of OH⁻ into the root medium of nitrate-fed plants. In carob plants the K-shuttle may thus be operative to a limited extent only, corresponding to between 11 and 27%; of the nitrate taken up. Potassium seems to be the cation accompanying stored nitrate in the roots of carob seedlings, since they accumulate nearly stoichiometric amounts of K⁺ and NO⁻₃.     

Effects of low and high levels of magnesium on the response of sunflower plants grown with ammonium and nitrate

The effect of the nitrogen source (ammonium and nitrate) and its interaction with magnesium on various physiological processes was studied in sunflower plants (Helianthus annuusL.). Plants were grown in hydroponic culture with nitrate (5 mM) or ammonium (5 mM) and four concentrations of magnesium (0.1, 0.8, 5 and 10 mM). After 2 weeks, growth, gas exchange and fluorescence parameters, soluble carbohydrates, free amino acids, soluble protein and mineral elements were determined. Ammonium nutrition resulted in a reduction of dry matter accumulation, as well as in a decrease in the CO₂ assimilation. Moreover, ammonium-fed plants showed a greater content of free amino acids, soluble protein, Rubisco and anions, and a lower cation content, mostly Mg²⁺. The presence of high levels of Mg²⁺ in the nutrient solution containing NH₄ ⁺ resulted in a stimulation of growth and CO₂ assimilation to the levels observed in nitrate-fed plants. The lower photosynthetic rate of ammonium-fed plants grown with low level of magnesium does not seem to be due to a lower photosynthetic pigment content, or a deficiency in Photosystem II activity, or to lower Rubisco content. Hence, Rubisco activity or other enzymes involved in CO₂ fixation could have been affected in ammonium-fed plants. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The uptake and flow of C, N and ions between roots and shoots in Ricinus communis L. III. Long-distance transport of abscisic acid depending on nitrogen nutrition and salt stress

Seedlings of Ricinus communis L. were cultivated in quartz sandand supplied with media which contained either different concentrationsof nitrate or ammonium nitrogen and were treated with a lowsalt stress. The concentration of ABA was determined in tissuesand in xylem and phloem saps. Between 41 and 51 day after sowing,abscisic acid (ABA) flows between roots and shoots were modelled.Long-distance transport of ABA was not stimulated under conditionsof nitrate deficiency (0.2 mol m^–3). However, when ammoniumwas given as the only N source (1.0 mol m^–3), ABA transportin both xylem and phloem was increased significantly. Mild saltstress (40 mol m^–3 NaCl) increased ABA transport in nitrate-fedplants, but not in ammonium-fed plants. The leaf conductancewas lowered by salt treatment with both nitrogen sources, butit was always lower in ammonium-fed compared to nitrate-fedplants. A negative correlation of leaf conductance to ABA levelsin leaves or flow in xylem was found only in comparison of ammonium-fedto nitrate-fed plants. Key words: Abscisic acid, ammonium, Ricinus communis, phloem, xylem, transport, nitrate, nitrogen nutrition     

Interaction of nitrogen nutrition and salinity in Grey poplar (Populus tremula x alba)

Salinity represents an increasing environmental problem in managed ecosystems. Populus spp. is widely used for wood production by short-rotation forestry in fertilized plantations and can be grown on saline soil. Because N fertilization plays an important role in salt tolerance, we analysed Grey poplar (Populus tremula x alba, syn. Populus canescens) grown with either 1 mM nitrate or ammonium subjected to moderate 75 mM NaCl. The impact of N nutrition on amelioration of salt tolerance was analysed on different levels of N metabolism such as N uptake, assimilation and N (total N, proteins and amino compounds) accumulation. Na concentration increased in all tissues over time of salt exposure. The N nutrition-dependent effects of salt exposure were more intensive in roots than in leaves. Application of salt reduced root increment as well as stem height increase and, at the same time, increased the concentration of total amino compounds more intensively in roots of ammonium-fed plants. In leaves, salt treatment increased concentrations of total N more intensively in nitrate-fed plants and concentrations of amino compounds independently of N nutrition. The major changes in N metabolism of Grey poplar exposed to moderate salt concentrations were detected in the significant increase of amino acid concentrations. The present results indicate that N metabolism of Grey poplar exposed to salt performed better when the plants were fed with nitrate instead of ammonium as sole N source. Therefore, nitrate fertilization of poplar plantations grown on saline soil should be preferred.     

Morphophysiological Indices of the Source Leaf in Wheat Plants Acclimated to Conditions of Nitrogen Nutrition

Growth, leaf and cell morphology, and the chemical composition of the second leaf were studied in wheat (Triticum aestivumL., cv. Inna) plants grown on the medium containing nitrate, ammonium, or no nitrogen at all. Independent of the nitrogen nutrition, the second leaf of the 21-day-old plants matures and functions as a source of assimilates. Both ammonium nutrition and nitrogen deficiency decreased the fresh weight, area, and cell size in the leaf; however, the conditions of nitrogen nutrition did not affect the dry weight of the leaf. Nitrogen starvation increased and ammonium nutrition decreased the relative content of the cell walls in the dry weight. In the nitrate-fed plants, the leaf content of sucrose increased, and the contents of reduced nitrogen (N_red) and protein were lower than in the ammonium treatment. Reciprocally, the contents of reduced nitrogen and protein were highest in the ammonium treatment, the content of sucrose was lowest, with starch practically absent from the leaf. The nitrogen-starved leaf accumulated a large amount of starch, the N_redcontent was two times lower than in the ammonium-fed plants, and the protein content was similar to that in the nitrate-fed plants. Thus, leaf and cell morphology and the content of N_red, protein, and carbohydrate changes in different ways during wheat acclimation to the condition of nitrogen nutrition. By assessing the cell wall weight, the authors established that, depending on nitrogen nutrition, this cell compartment accepts a variable flow of carbon.