菠菜叶中存在两种谷氨酰胺合成酶同工酶

运用非变性聚丙稀酰胺凝胶电泳结合活性染色的方法,在菠菜(Spinacia oleracea L．)生长发育过程中,观察到叶片中至少存在2种谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS),其中一种GS的活性随发育进程而逐渐升高,而另一种GS的活性逐渐降低。在不同来源的成熟的菠菜叶片中同样观察到2种GS的存在。     

谷氨酰胺合成酶在固氮鱼腥藻固氮调节中的作用

在MSX(methlonine sulfoximine,谷氨酰胺合成酶的不可逆抑制剂)存在下,固氮鱼腥藻(Anabaena azotica)所分泌的氨量和谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)活力有较好的负相关性,证明谷氨酰胺合成酶-谷氨酸合成酶(GS-GOGAT)是固氮鱼腥藻氨同化的重要途径。在蛋白质合成受到氯霉素拟制时,NH_4~ 对固氮酶的失活是迅速的,同时GS活力有较大下降,表明NH_4~ 的调控酶的失活或降解。在氮固定条件下,固氮酶活力半衰期小于4小时,GS活力半衰期大于10小时,则GS并不是固氮酶的正调节因子。NH_4~ 和谷氨酰胺(gln)对固氮酶的失活作用随它的浓度增加而提高,但GS并没有这种相关性,低浓度NH_4~ (0.1—0.5mmol/L·NH_4Cl)对GS活力没有抑制作用,高浓度gln(1.0—2.0mmol/L)也没有抑制GS活力,说明GS并不直接调控固氮酶。MSX能消除NH_4~ 和gln对固氮酶的抑制作用,并与藻龄有关。     

水稻种子萌发期间谷氨酰胺合成酶和NADH-谷氨酸合酶的变化

测定了水稻种子不同萌发时期胚乳、胚芽鞘和幼根的谷氨酰胺合成酶（GS）和依赖于NADH的谷氨酸合酶（NADH－GOGAT）活性变化。胚乳和胚芽鞘的GS活性在萌发过程中升高,幼根的GS活性则有所降低。NADH－GOGAT的活性变化趋势与GS相同。Native-PAGE活性染色表明,在萌发阶段的水稻种子胚乳和幼根里,始终只观察到一种GS活性带。但是,在水稻种子萌发3d后,在胚芽鞘中除继续检测到GS1的活性外,还可以观察到GS2的活性。蛋白质印迹显示,水稻种子胚乳中的GS（GSe)和GS1和GSra一样是一种胞质型GS。实验结果提示,这些不同组织中的GS与NADH－GOGAT构成的循环途径也许是水稻种子萌发时氨同化的主要途径。     

光对水稻非光合组织谷氨酰胺合成酶同工酶表达的影响

以前的研究表明,高等植物叶绿体谷氨酰胺合成酶（GS2）受光调节,但叶片胞液GS（GS1）和非光合作用组织中的GS很少受光的影响,在本报道中,笔者运用GS活性染色和Western blotting研究了光对非光合作用组织水稻根GS同工酶表达的影响,在阳光的直接照射下以及在室内不同光照强度下,可以很清楚地观察到GSra和GS rb的活性带及其蛋白质带,但是,当用尼龙网档住阳光的直接照射下,GSrb的活性带和蛋白质带消失,当阳光被尼龙网遮挡住后,其光强度仍然比室内光照强度大得多,表明光照强度不是影响GSrb表达的主要因素,当分析生长在暗处以及生长在光／暗转换下的水稻幼苗根GS同工酶变化时,仍然可以观察到GSrb的在,在所有实验条件下,GSra都未发生明显变化,这些结果提示,光对GSrb表达的影响可能是由某些光谱相互作用所产生的未知因素造成的。     

植物谷氨酰胺合成酶研究进展及其应用前景

氮素是制约作物产量的主要营养元素之一,谷氨酰胺合成酶(Glutamine synthase,GS;EC 6.3.1.2)是氮素代谢途径中的关键酶。目前,拟南芥、水稻、小麦和玉米等植物中的GS成员均已被分离鉴定。研究表明,超表达GS能够提高植物对氮素的利用效率,从而在植株的生长发育特别是产量形成过程中发挥重要作用,但是其功能在不同植物上并不完全一致,可能与GS基因受到转录和翻译后等水平的调控有关。以下综述了植物GS基因分类、QTL定位、对氮素代谢响应、组织表达特异性、生物学功能及其分子调控机制等方面的研究进展,并展望了植物GS基因的应用前景,以期为利用GS基因来提高植物氮素利用效率提供具有参考价值的信息。     

谷氨酰胺合成酶与Wnt信号转导通路

GS（glutamine synthetase）或GLuL（glutamate-ammonia ligase）,即谷氨酰胺合成酶,为人体内重要的功能酶,催化谷氨酸与氨生成谷氨酰胺。在体内氮的代谢中,尤其在维持氨离子和谷氨酰胺的稳定中发挥着重要的作用。GS表达和活性的异常常会导致人体很多疾病的发生。近年来研究发现GS表达和活性的异常与Wnt信号通路的异常密切相关。     

力复霉素合成与谷氨酰胺合成酶活力的正相关性

本文报道了地中海诺卡氏菌U一32的氮代谢研究的初步结果。U一32的丙氨酸脱氢酶(ADH)和谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)同化氨途径受培养基中氨浓度的调节。高氨时,GS的活力低,ADH活力高;低氨时,GS话力高,ADH活力低,发酵后期ADH活力近于零。     

甜菜胞质型谷氨酰胺合成酶基因组DNA的克隆

以甜菜叶片为材料,用CTAB法提取基因组DNA.以分段PCR法扩增得到了完整的甜菜胞质型谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS1)基因组DNA.采用RT-PCR法扩增此GS1基因(GS1)的cDNA序列应用于对照.获得了长度为9 606bp的完整的GS1 DNA序列和长度为1 068 bp的GSI cDNA序列.分析GS1基因组DNA序列表明,它包含13个外显子,被12个内含子分隔开.其外显子区与已公布的GS1 mRNA序列的相似性达99.5%.RT-PCR法获得的cDNA序列与已知的GS1 mRNA序列相似性达99.6%.而2次实验中GS1基因组DNA外显子区与GS1 cDNA序列的相似性达99.9%.GenBank登录号为EU370974.     

林肯链霉菌谷氨酰胺合成酶活力调节的研究

对不同氮源生长条件下林肯链霉菌无细胞粗提液中谷氨酰胺合成酶 (GS)的研究结果表明 ,高浓度NH+4阻遏了GS的生物合成。从不同氮源生长条件下林肯链霉菌中分离纯化了GS ,其性质没有差别。以受腺苷化调节的产气克雷伯氏菌GS作对照 ,林肯链霉菌GS没有明显的氨休克作用 ,经蛇毒磷酸二酯酶处理后 ,其活力没有变化。这些结果都说明林肯链霉菌GS不存在腺苷化共价修饰这一调节方式。反馈抑制作用是林肯链霉菌GS的一种重要的调节方式 ,这种抑制作用是以累积的方式进行的 ,这表明各种抑制剂对GS作用位点不同 ,各种抑制剂对GS的抑制作用是相互独立的。由此推测 ,林肯链霉菌GS是一种变构酶。     

Reversible inhibition of mammalian glutamine synthetase by tyrosine nitration

The effect of tyrosine nitration on mammalian GS activity and stability was studied in vitro. Peroxynitrite at a concentration of 5 micro mol/l produced tyrosine nitration and inactivation of GS, whereas 50 micro mol/l peroxynitrite additionally increased S-nitrosylation and carbonylation and degradation of GS by the 20S proteasome. (-)Epicatechin completely prevented both, tyrosine nitration and inactivation of GS by peroxynitrite (5 micro mol/l). Further, a putative "denitrase" activity restored the activity of peroxynitrite (5 micro mol/l)-treated GS. The data point to a potential regulation of GS activity by a reversible tyrosine nitration. High levels of oxidative stress may irreversibly damage and predispose the enzyme to proteasomal degradation.     

Overproduction of alfalfa glutamine synthetase in transgenic tobacco plants

Summary We have obtained transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing the enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS) by fusing an alfalfa GS gene to the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promotor and integrating it intoNicotiana tabacum var. W38 plants byAgrobacterium tumefaciens mediated gene transfer. The amount of RNA specific to alfalfa GS was about 10 times higher in transgenic tobacco plants than in alfalfa. The alfalfa GS produced by these transgenic plants was identified by Western blotting and represented 5% of total soluble protein in the transformed plants, amounting to a 5-fold increase in specific GS activity and in a 20-fold increase in resistance to the GS inhibitorl-phosphinothricin in vitro. Tissue from GS overproducing plants showed a sevenfold lower amount of free NH₃. The amino acid composition of the plant tissue was not altered significantly by GS overproduction. GS overproducing plants were fertile and grew normally. These data show that a high level of expression of a key metabolic enzyme such as glutamine synthetase does not interfere with growth and fertility of plants.     

Targeting of glutamine synthetase to the mitochondria of transgenic tabacco

Two transgenic tobacco lines were genetically engineered to contain chimaeric genes encoding the glutamine synthetase (GS) polypeptide of Phaseolus vulgaris (French bean), expressed from the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. One (MIT-1) contained two copies of a construct including the first 60 amino acids of the Nicotiana plumbaginifolia -F₁ ATPase to target the GS polypeptide to the mitochondrion. The other (CYT-4) contained a single copy of a cytosolic GS construct. Leaves of in vitro plantlets expressed the constructs and contained a novel GS polypeptide, which assembled into active GS isoenzymes constituting about 25% of the total GS activity. In in vitro plantlets of MIT-1, but not CYT-4, the novel polypeptide was found to be associated with the mitochondria. Moreover in MIT-1, the size of the novel polypeptide was not that predicted of the precursor (44.9 kDa) but was about 39 kDa, the same size as the authentic GS polypeptide in CYT-4. These results are consistent with the precursor being imported into the mitochondria and cleaved near the fusion junction between the two sequences. These experiments have therefore shown that the presequence of the -F₁ ATPase has successfully targeted the GS polypeptide to the mitochondria of transgenic tobacco where it has assembled into an active isoenzyme. However, in fully regenerated plants growing photoautotrophically in growth-room conditions, although the constructs were still expressed, the polypeptide did not accumulate to the same levels as in in vitro plantlets and new isoenzyme activities were now barely detectable. Moreover in leaves of the mature MIT-1 plants, the polypeptide was found to be associated with the insoluble fraction of the mitochondria. The results of these experiments are discussed.     

Substrate discrimination by prolyl-tRNA synthetase from various higher plants

Prolyl-tRNA synthetase from plants (e.g. Delonix regia) containing azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (A2C), activated imino acid analogues larger than proline (Pro) more efficiently than did the enzyme from plants lacking A2C. The reverse situation was observed for analogues, including A2C itself, that are smaller than Pro. The enzyme from A2C-producing species was quite labile and salt-sensitive, with a high pH optima for the ATP-³²PPi exchange reaction, whereas the enzyme from non-producer species was stable and insensitive to salts, with a lower pH optimum. Certain analogues of Pro, which failed to stimulate ATP-³²PPi in the presence of a particular type of Pro-tRNA synthetase, nevertheless could bind to the enzyme and inhibit the esterification of tRNA by Pro. In the absence of tRNA, no significant ATP-³²PPi exchange was catalyzed by the Delonix enzyme on addition of A2C; the addition of tRNA resulted in a low but real level of activation of the analogue relative to Pro. These findings are discussed in relation to the ability of the enzyme from A2C-producing plants to discriminate against the analogue.     

Effects of medium glutamine,glutamate, and ammonia on glutamine synthetase activity in cultured mouse astroglial cells

Mouse astroglial cells were grown during the last week of culture in either glutamine-free or glutamine-containing medium. The addition of cortisol to the glutamine-containing medium resulted in a doubling of astroglial glutamine synthetase (GS) activity. Withdrawal of glutamine from the medium resulted in a 50% elevation of GS and addition of cortisol to such a medium resulted in a further increase in GS which was not additive to glutamine withdrawal. Both in glutamine-free and glutamine-containing medium, the addition of glutamate resulted in a depression of both basal and cortisol induced GS activity. The simultaneous addition of ammonia plus glutamate to the culture medium ameliorated the glutamate mediated depressive effects on cortisol induced but not basal GS activity. Glutamine withdrawal from the culture medium resulted in an astroglial protein deficit. The addition of ammonia to the medium considerably reduced this deficit and the addition of glutamate completely eliminated this protein deficit.     

The role of cytosolic glutamine synthetase in wheat

The role of glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2) was studied in wheat. GS isoforms were separated by HPLC and the two major leaf isoforms (cytosolic GS1 and chloroplastic GS2) were found to change in content and activity throughout plant development. GS2 dominated activity in green, rapidly photosynthesising leaves compared to GS1 which was a minor component. GS2 remained the main isoform in flag leaves at the early stages of grain filling but GS1 activity increased as the leaves aged. During senescence, there was a decrease in total GS activity which resulted largely from the loss of GS2 and thus GS 1 became a greater contributor to total GS activity. The changes in the activities of the GS isoforms were mirrored by the changes in GS proteins measured by western blotting. The changes in GS during plant development reflect major transitions in metabolism from a photosynthetic leaf (high GS2 activity) towards a senescencing leaf (relatively high GS1 activity). It is likely that, during leaf maturation and subsequently senescence, GS1 is central for the efficient reassimilation of ammonium released from catabolic reactions when photosynthesis has declined and remobilisation of nitrogen is occurring. Preliminary analysis of transgenic wheat lines with increased GS1 activity in leaves showed that they develop an enhanced capacity to accumulate nitrogen in the plant, mainly in the grain, and this is accompanied by increases in root and grain dry matter. The possibility that the manipulation of GS may provide a means of enhancing nitrogen use in wheat is discussed.     

小麦谷氨酰胺合成酶的原核表达特点

谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)是植物氮同化的关键酶,为了研究小麦GS同工酶的结构及其表达特点,我们构建了小麦GS1、GSr、GSe、GS2和GS2前体GS2p的原核表达载体,并对表达条件进行了优化。结果表明,尽管小麦GS同工酶氨基酸序列同源性达70%–80%,蛋白质表达却各具特点。30℃诱导3 h后,GSr、GSe及GS2表达量达最大,诱导7 h后GS1表达量达最大,GS2p不表达,表达量依次为GS1(22%)GSr(15%)GS2(12%)GSe(5%);且GSe可溶性表达,GS1主要为可溶性表达,而GSr和GS2为包涵体。30℃诱导3 h,GS同工酶相对转录量为GSr(7.59)GS2(1.84)GS2p(1.66)GSe(1.46)GS1(1.00),酶蛋白质翻译水平与转录水平不一致。mRNA结构分析显示,GS同工酶翻译起始区稳定二级结构的自由能不同:GS1(14.4)GSr(17.2)GS2(22.6)GSe(25.4)GS2p(31.6),自由能越小,翻译起始区结构越不稳定,蛋白表达水平越高。GS1、GSr、GSe和GS2可溶性表达的最佳诱导条件不同,分别是30℃诱导5 h、16℃诱导15 h、37℃诱导5 h及25℃诱导7 h;可溶性表达量为GS1(20%)GSr(13%)GS2(10%)GSe(7%),酶活性为GS1GSeGS2,GSr无活性。可见,GS同工酶的基因序列决定了蛋白质在原核细胞中的表达量、状态及其活性。     

Purification and characterisation of glutamine synthetase fromNocardia corallina

Glutamine synthetase (GS) (EC 6.3.1.2) has been purified 67-fold fromNocardia corallina. The apparentM _r of the GS subunit was approximately 56,000. Assuming the enzyme is a typical dodecamer this indicates a particle mass for the undissociated enzyme of 672,000. The GS is regulated by adenylylation and deadenylylation, and subject to feedback inhibition by alanine and glycine. The pH profiles assayed by the -glutamyl transferase method were similar for NH₄ ⁺-treated and untreated cell extracts and an isoactivity point was not obtained from these curves. GS activity was repressed by (NH₄)₂SO₄ and glutamate. Cells grown in the presence of glutamine, alanine, proline and histidine had enhanced levels of GS activity. The GS ofN. corallina cross-reacted with antisera prepared against GS from a Gram-negativeThiobacillus ferrooxidans strain but not with antisera raised against GS from a Gram-positiveClostridium acetobutylicum strain.     

Discovery of the ammonium substrate site on glutamine synthetase, a third cation binding site.

Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes the ATP-dependent condensation of ammonia and glutamate to yield glutamine, ADP, and inorganic phosphate in the presence of divalent cations. Bacterial GS is an enzyme of 12 identical subunits, arranged in two rings of 6, with the active site between each pair of subunits in a ring. In earlier work, we have reported the locations within the funnel-shaped active site of the substrates glutamate and ATP and of the two divalent cations, but the site for ammonia (or ammonium) has remained elusive. Here we report the discovery by X-ray crystallography of a binding site on GS for monovalent cations, Tl+ and Cs+, which is probably the binding site for the substrate ammonium ion. Fourier difference maps show the following. (1) Tl+ and Cs+ bind at essentially the same site, with ligands being Glu 212, Tyr 179, Asp 50', Ser 53' of the adjacent subunit, and the substrate glutamate. From its position adjacent to the substrate glutamate and the cofactor ADP, we propose that this monovalent cation site is the substrate ammonium ion binding site. This proposal is supported by enzyme kinetics. Our kinetic measurements show that Tl+, Cs+, and NH4+ are competitive inhibitors to NH2OH in the gamma-glutamyl transfer reaction. (2) GS is a trimetallic enzyme containing two divalent cation sites (n1, n2) and one monovalent cation site per subunit. These three closely spaced ions are all at the active site: the distance between n1 and n2 is 6 A, between n1 and Tl+ is 4 A, and between n2 and Tl+ is 7 A. Glu 212 and the substrate glutamate are bridging ligands for the n1 ion and Tl+. (3) The presence of a monovalent cation in this site may enhance the structural stability of GS, because of its effect of balancing the negative charges of the substrate glutamate and its ligands and because of strengthening the "side-to-side" intersubunit interaction through the cation-protein bonding. (4) The presence of the cofactor ADP increases the Tl+ binding to GS because ADP binding induces movement of Asp 50' toward this monovalent cation site, essentially forming the site. This observation supports a two-step mechanism with ordered substrate binding: ATP first binds to GS, then Glu binds and attacks ATP to form gamma-glutamyl phosphate and ADP, which complete the ammonium binding site. The third substrate, an ammonium ion, then binds to GS, and then loses a proton to form the more active species ammonia, which attacks the gamma-glutamyl phosphate to yield Gln. (5) Because the products (Glu or Gln) of the reactions catalyzed by GS are determined by the molecule (water or ammonium) attacking the intermediate gamma-glutamyl phosphate, this negatively charged ammonium binding pocket has been designed naturally for high affinity of ammonium to GS, permitting glutamine synthesis to proceed in aqueous solution.     

Role of glutamine synthetase in citric acid fermentation byAspergillus niger

The activity of glutamine synthetase fromAspergillus niger was significantly lowered under conditions of citric acid fermentation. The intracellular pH of the organism as determined by bromophenol blue dye distribution and fluorescein diacetate uptake methods was relatively constant between 6·0–6·5, when the pH of the external medium was varied between 2·3–7·0.Aspergillus niger glutamine synthetase was rapidly inactivated under acidic pH conditions and Mn²⁺ ions partially protected the enzyme against this inactivation. Mn²⁺-dependent glutamine synthetase activity was higher at acidic pH (6·0) compared to Mg²⁺-supported activity. While the concentration of Mg²⁺ required to optimally activate glutamine synthetase at pH 6·0 was very high (≥ 50 mM), Mn²⁺ was effective at 4 mM. Higher concentrations of Mn²⁺ were inhibitory. The inhibition of both Mn²⁺ and Mg²⁺-dependent reactions by citrate, 2-oxoglutarate and ATP were probably due to their ability to chelate divalent ions rather than as regulatory molecules. This suggestion was supported by the observation that a metal ion chelator, EDTA also produced similar effects. Of the end-products of the pathway, only histidine, carbamyl phosphate, AMP and ADP inhibitedAspergillus niger glutamine synthetase. The inhibitions were more pronounced when Mn²⁺ was the metal ion activator and greater inhibition was observed at lower pH values. These results permit us to postulate that glutamine synthesis may be markedly inhibited when the fungus is grown under conditions suitable for citric acid production and this block may result in delinking carbon and nitrogen metabolism leading to acidogenesis