| Abstract: | We examined the effect of pretreatments (18 h at 5 µmoldm–3) with abscisic acid, the ethylene-releasing substance‘Ethephon’, gibberellic acid, indoleacetic acid,kinetin and zeatin on nitrate uptake and in vivo nitrate reductaseactivity (NRA) in roots of nitrogen-depleted Phaseolus vulgarisL. Nitrate uptake showed an apparent induction pattern witha steady state after about 6 h, in all treatments. The nitrateuptake rate after 6 h was unaffected or at most 30% lower aftertreatments with the plant growth regulators. Gibberellic acid, kinetin and zeatin induced substantial NRAin roots in the absence of nitrate, whereas Ethephon enhancedNRA only during nitrate nutrition. Kinetin-induced NRA (Ki-NRA)was maximal after a pretreatment at 1 µmol dm–3,and showed a lag phase of 6–8 h. Ki-NRA was additive tonitrate-induced NRA (NO–3-NRA) for at least 24 h, independentof the induction sequence. After full induction, Ki-NRA approximated20% of NO-3-NRA. Abscisic acid counteracted the developmentof Ki-NRA, but not of NO–3-NRA. Cycloheximide and tungstatewere equally effective to suppress the development of nitratereductase activity after supply of kinetin or NO–3. Our data are consistent with the operation of two independentenzyme fractions (Ki-NRA and NO–3-NRA) with apparentlyidentical properties but with separate control mechanisms. Theabsence of major effects of plant growth regulators on the time-courseand rate of nitrate uptake suggests that exogenous regulators,and possibly endogenous phytohormones are of minor importancefor initial nitrate uptake. The differential effect of someregulators on nitrate uptake and root NRA furthermore indicatesthat the processes of uptake and reduction of NO–3 arenot obligatory or exclusively coupled to each other. |
