Regulation of Maize Leaf Nitrate Reductase Activity Involves Both Gene Expression and Protein Phosphorylation

Nitrate reductase (NR; EC 1.6.6.1) activity increased at the beginning of the photoperiod in mature green maize (Zea mays L.) leaves as a result of increased enzyme protein level and protein dephosphorylation. In vitro experiments suggested that phosphorylation of maize leaf NR affected sensitivity to Mg2+ inhibition, as shown previously in spinach. When excised leaves were fed 32P-labeled inorganic phosphate, NR was phosphorylated on seryl residues in both the light and dark. Tryptic peptide mapping of NR labeled in vivo indicated three major 32P-phosphopeptide fragments, and labeling of all three was reduced when leaves were illuminated. Maize leaf NR mRNA levels that were low at the end of the dark period peaked within 2 h in the light and decreased thereafter, and NR activity generally remained high. It appears that light signals, rather than an endogenous rhythm, account primarily for diurnal variations in NR mRNA levels. Overall, regulation of NR activity in mature maize leaves in response to light signals appears to involve control of gene expression, enzyme protein synthesis, and reversible protein phosphorylation.     

不同氮源对小麦幼苗谷氨酰胺合成酶的影响

利用ＤＥＡＥ－纤维素柱层析、酶活性测定、Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ 分子杂交等技术,研究了小麦（Ｔｒｉｔｉｃｕｍ ａｅｓｔｉｖｕｍ Ｌ．）幼苗的根、叶和离体叶在不同氮源培养条件下谷氨酰胺合成酶（ＧＳ）活性和同工酶变化, 以及不同氮源对ＧＳ基因转录－ＧＳ－ｍ ＲＮＡ 的影响． 同时与硝酸还原酶（ＮＲ）活性进行比较, 结果表明∶当以ＮＨ＋４ 作唯一氮源时,小麦幼苗根谷氨酰胺合成酶（ＧＳｒ）和叶细胞质谷氨酰胺合成酶（ＧＳ１）活性要比以ＮＯ－３ 作唯一氮源的高．当以ＮＯ－３ 为唯一氮源时, ＮＯ－３ 则促进完整叶片和离体叶片叶绿体谷氨酰胺合成酶（ＧＳ２）活性． 从转录水平上看,ＮＨ＋４ 促进根ＧＳ－ｍ ＲＮＡ 的合成,而ＮＯ－３ 促进叶ＧＳ－ｍ ＲＮＡ 的合成     

Tungstate, a molybdate analog inactivating nitrate reductase, deregulates the expression of the nitrate reductase structural gene

Nitrate reductase (NR, EC 1.6.6.1) from higher plants is a homodimeric enzyme carrying a molybdenum cofactor at the catalytic site. Tungsten can be substituted for molybdenum in the cofactor structure, resulting in an inactive enzyme. When nitratefed Nicotiana tabacum plants were grown on a nutrient solution in which tungstate was substituted for molybdate, NR activity in the leaves decreased to a very low level within 24 hours while NR protein accumulated progressively to a level severalfold higher than the control after 6 days. NR mRNA level in molybdate-grown plants exhibited a considerable day-night fluctuation. However, when plants were treated with tungstate, NR mRNA level remained very high. NR activity and protein increased over a 24-hour period when nitrate was added back to N-starved molybdate-grown plants. NR mRNA level increased markedly during the first 2 hours and then decreased. In the presence of tungstate, however, the induction of NR activity by nitrate was totally abolished while high levels of NR protein and mRNA were both induced, and the high level of NR mRNA was maintained over a 10-hour period. These results suggest that the substitution of tungsten for molybdenum in NR complex leads to an overexpression of the NR structural gene. Possible mechanisms involved in this deregulation are discussed.     

低pH对水稻黄化叶片硝酸还原酶活性暗诱导的调节

在低pH条件下,水稻离体黄化叶片的硝酸还原酶(NR)活性能在暗中诱导产生,其诱导过程约有2h的滞后期,亚胺环已酮(CHI,5ppm)和Na_2WO_4(25 mmol/L)能完全抑制这种诱导作用。在最适pH 3.0时,H~3标记氨基酸掺入NR的量比pH 7.0时约高2倍,表明酶活性的产生与酶蛋白的重新合成有关。 当低pH暗诱导时,BA(5ppm)和ABA(15ppm)能使酶活性分别提高约30％和80％,但它们都不能取代低pH在NR活性暗诱导中的作用。当存在1ppm CHI的时候,BA仍促进NR活性,而ABA则加强CHI对酶活性的抑制作用,这提示BA与ABA在低pH暗诱导条件下促进NR活性的机制是不同的。在pH 7.0的光诱导条件下,ABA对NR活性起抑制作用。