Unusual regulatory nitrate reductase activity in cotyledons of Brassica napus seedlings: enhancement of nitrate reductase activity by ammonium supply

The effect of supplying either nitrate or ammonium on nitrate reductase activity (NRA) was investigated in Brassica napus seedlings. In roots, nitrate reductase activity (NRA) increased as a function of nitrate content in tissues and decreased when ammonium was the sole nitrogen source. Conversely, in the shoots (comprising the cotyledons and hypocotyl), NRA was shown to be independent of nitrate content. Moreover, when ammonium was supplied as the sole nitrogen source, NRA in the shoots was surprisingly higher than under nitrate supply and increased as a function of the tissue ammonium content. Under 15 mM of exogenous ammonium, the NRA was up to 2.5-fold higher than under nitrate supply after 6 d of culture. The NR mRNA accumulation under ammonium nutrition was 2-fold higher than under nitrate supply. The activation state of NR in shoots was especially high compared with roots: from nearly 80% under nitrate supply it reached 94% under ammonium. This high NR activation state under ammonium supply could be the consequence of the slight acidification observed in the shoot tissue. The effect of ammonium on NRA was only observed in cotyledons and when more than 3 mM ammonium was supplied. No such NRA increase was evident in the roots or in foliar discs. Addition of 1 mM nitrate under ammonium nutrition halved NRA and decreased the ammonium content in shoots. Thus, this unusual NRA was restricted to seedling cotyledons when nitrate was lacking in the nitrogen source.     

The effects of endogenous cytokinin content on benzyladenineenhanced nitrate reductase induction

Foliar application of benzyladenine (BA) has been shown to enhance nitrate-dependent induction of nitrate reductase (NR; EC 1.6.6.1) in etiolated wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings. Whether similar enhancement occurs in light-grown plants, or whether endogenous cytokinin content affects this enhancement is unknown. Since the cytokinin content of etiolated plants probably differs from that of light-grown seedlings, the NR response of each to exogenous root- or shoot-applied BA in wheat (cv. Red Bob) was examined. Endogenous cytokinins present in untreated control tissues prior to BA application and changes that occurred after a 22 h (12 h dark followed by 10 h of light) period were determined using a combined HPLC-immunoassay method. Shoot application of BA enhanced the induction of NR in etiolated seedlings in a concentration-dependent manner but failed to enhance NR induction in light-grown plants. Root-applied BA enhanced NR induction in both etiolated and light-grown seedlings. Endogenous root cytokinin levels were similar in both etiolated and light-grown plants. In contrast, shoots of 6 day-old light-grown seedlings contained at least 20 times the amount of total cytokinins measured in shoots from etiolated plants of the same age. Total cytokinin content of the light-grown plants diminished after the 22-h period while that measured in etiolated seedlings increased. The responsiveness of seedlings to BA was correlated with endogenous cytokinin levels in that enhancement of NR induction by exogenous BA was low in tissues which contained high concentrations of cytokinin at the time of BA application. These results may prove useful in interpretation of gene responses to exogenous plant growth regulators.     

硝酸盐对硝酸还原酶活性的诱导及硝酸还原酶基因的克隆

硝酸盐在植物体内的积累过多已成为影响蔬菜品质并影响人类健康的重要因素。硝酸还原酶（NR）是硝酸盐代谢中的关键酶,提高其活性有利于硝酸盐的降解。为了解植物不同组织中NR的活性,用活体测定法检测了经50mmol/L的KNO₃诱导不同时间后的油菜、豌豆和番茄幼苗根茎叶中NR活性,同时为了明确外源诱导剂浓度与植物体内NR活性的关系,检测了经不同浓度KNO₃诱导2h后的矮脚黄、抗热605、小白菜和番茄叶片中的NRA。结果表明,不同植物组织NR活性有很大差异,叶中NR活性较高,根其次,茎最低;不同植物的NR活性随诱导时间呈不同的变化趋势,相同植物不同组织的NR活性变化趋势相似;不同植物叶片NRA为最高时KNO₃浓度不同。用30mmol/L的KNO3诱导番茄苗2h后,从番茄根和叶中提取总RNA,用RT-PCR方法获得NR cDNA,全长2736bp,编码911个氨基酸。为进一步利用该基因提高植物对硝酸盐的降解能力打下基础。     

Hormonal Characterization of Transgenic Tobacco Plants Expressing the rolC Gene of Agrobacterium rhizogenes TL-DNA

Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Wisconsin 38) plants expressing the Agrobacterium rhizogenes rolC gene under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA promoter were constructed. These plants displayed several morphological alterations reminiscent of changes in indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), cytokinin, and gibberellin (GA) content. However, investigations showed that neither the IAA pool size nor its rate of turnover were altered significantly in the rolC plants. The biggest difference between rolC and wild-type plants was in the concentrations of the cytokinin, isopentenyladenosine (iPA) and the gibberellin GA19. Radio-immunoassay and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry measurements revealed a drastic reduction in rolC plants of iPA as well as in several other cytokinins tested, suggesting a possible reduction in the synthesis rate of cytokinins. Furthermore, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry quantifications of GA19 showed a 5- to 6-fold increase in rolC plants compared with wild-type plants, indicating a reduced activity of the GA19 oxidase, a proposed regulatory step in the gibberellin biosynthesis. Thus, we conclude that RolC activity in transgenic plants leads to major alterations in the metabolism of cytokinins and gibberellins.     

Analysis of Cytokinin Metabolism in ipt Transgenic Tobacco by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The endogenous levels of the major, naturally occurring cytokinins in Pisum sativum ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase small subunit promoter-isopentenyl transferase gene (Pssu-ipt)-transformed tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) callus were quantified using electrospray-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry during a 6-week subcultivation period. An ipt gene was expressed under control of a tetracycline-inducible promoter for a more detailed study of cytokinin accumulation and metabolism. Activation of the ipt in both expression systems resulted in the production of mainly zeatin-type cytokinins. No accumulation of isopentenyladenine or isopentenyladenosine was observed. In Pssu-ipt-transformed calli, as well as in the tetracycline-inducible ipt leaves, metabolic inactivation occurred through O-glucoside conjugation. No significant elevation of cytokinin N-glucosides levels was observed. Side-chain reduction to dihydrozeatin-type cytokinins was observed in both systems. The levels of the endogenous cytokinins varied in time and were subject to homeostatic regulatory mechanisms. Feeding experiments of ipt transgenic callus with [3H]isopentenyladenine and [3H]isopentenyladenosine mainly led to labeled adenine-like compounds, which are degradation products from cytokininoxidase activity. Incorporation of radioactivity in zeatin riboside was observed, although to a much lesser extent.     

Inhibition of agrobacterial oncogenes expression by means of antisense RNA

Plant's infection with soil bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens lead to tumour formation, so called crown galls. The reason of tumorigenesis is integration of agrobacterial genes for phytohormone synthesis auxins and cytokinins in plant genome, the most important of them are iaaM and ipt. Obtaining of transgenic plants able to inhibit these genes expression, creates conditions for producing of plants resistant to crown gall disease. With this purpose single and double transformants of tobacco plants with antisense copies of iaaM and ipt genes under the control of single and double promoters of 35S RNA of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV 35S and CaMV 35SS) were produced. Infection with virulentA. tumefaciens strains C58 (pTiC58) and A6 (pTiA6) of all types transgenic plants with antisense oncogenes copies showed essential but incomplete inhibition of these genes expression. After agrobacterial transformations of transgenic plants only "weakened" tumours of various morphology, able to regenerate the whole plants, were formed. The analysis data of inhibition of iaaM and ipt genes expression in formed tumour cells were presented. The results indicate perspective RNA-interference strategy for producing of plants resistant to agrobacterial crown gall disease.     

Rapid modulation of nitrate reductase in pea roots

The regulatory properties of nitrate reductase (NR; EC 1.6.6.1) in root extracts from hydroponically grown pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Kleine Rheinländerin) plants were examined and compared with known properties of NR from spinach and pea leaves. Nitrate-reductase activity (NRA) extracted from pea roots decreased slowly when plants were kept in the dark, or when illuminated plants were detopped, with a half-time of about 4 h (= slow modulation in vivo). In contrast, the half-time for the dark-inactivation of NR from pea leaves was only 10 min. However, when root tip segments were transferred from aerobic to anaerobic conditions or vice versa, changes in NRA were as rapid as in leaves (= rapid modulation in vivo). Nitrate-reductase activity was low when extracted from roots kept in solutions flushed with air or pure oxygen, and high in nitrogen. Okadaic acid, a specific inhibitor of type-1 and type-2A protein phosphatases, totally prevented the in vivo activation by anaerobiosis of NR, indicating that rapid activation of root NR involved protein dephosphorylation. Under aerobic conditions, the low NRA in roots was also rapidly increased by incubating the roots with either uncouplers or mannose. Under these conditions, and also under anaerobiosis, ATP levels in roots were much lower than in aerated control roots. Thus, whenever ATP levels in roots were artificially decreased, NRA increased rapidly. The highly active NR extracted from anaerobic roots could be partially inactivated in vitro by preincubation of desalted root extracts with MgATP (2 mM), with a half-time of about 20 min. It was reactivated by subsequently incubating the extracts with excess AMP (2 mM). Thus, pea root NR shares many of the previously described properties of NR from spinach leaves, suggesting that the root enzyme, like the leaf enzyme, can be rapidly modulated, probably by reversible protein phosphorylation/ dephosphorylation.     

Characterization of the association of nitrate reductase with barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) root membranes.

The nature of the association between nitrate reductase (NR) and membranes was examined. Nitrate reductase activity (NRA) associated with the microsomal fraction of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) roots amounted to 0.6 to 0.8% of soluble NRA following sonication in the presence of 250 mM KI and repeated osmotic shock. This treatment removed all contaminating soluble NRA from microsomes of uninduced barley roots that had been homogenized in a soluble extract from roots of NO3(-)-induced plants. On continuous sucrose gradients, NRA co-migrated specifically with VO4(-)-sensitive ATPase activity, a plasma membrane (PM) marker; activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, assayed as cytosolic marker, co-migrated with NRA. Microsomal NRA was absent in barley deficient in soluble NR. Perturbation and trypsinolysis experiments with PM vesicles isolated by aqueous two-phase partitioning indicated that NR is associated with the periphery of the cytoplasmic face of the bilayer. These results demonstrate that PM and soluble NRs are essentially the same protein but that the membrane-associated form is tightly bound. Although it is possible that PM-associated NR exists in vivo, unequivocal evidence for this has yet to be shown. However, PM NR is definitely present in vitro.     

Latent nitrate reductase activity is associated with the plasma membrane of corn roots

Latent nitrate reductase activity (NRA) was detected in corn (Zea mays L., Golden Jubilee) root microsome fractions. Microsome-associated NRA was stimulated up to 20-fold by Triton X-100 (octylphenoxy polyethoxyethanol) whereas soluble NRA was only increased up to 1.2-fold. Microsome-associated NRA represented up to 19% of the total root NRA. Analysis of microsomal fractions by aqueous two-phase partitioning showed that the membrane-associated NRA was localized in the second upper phase (U₂). Analysis with marker enzymes indicated that the U₂ fraction was plasma membrane (PM). The PM-associated NRA was not removed by washing vesicles with up to 1.0 M NACl but was solubilized from the PM with 0.05% Triton X-100. In contrast, vanadate-sensitive ATPase activity was not solubilized from the PM by treatment with 0.1% Triton X-100. The results show that a protein capable of reducing nitrate is embedded in the hydrophobic region of the PM of corn roots.Abbreviations L₁ first lower phase - NR nitrate reductase - NRA nitrate-reductase activity - PM plasma membrane - T:p Triton X-100 (octylphenoxy polyethoxyethanol) to protein ratio - U₂ second upper phase     

The influence of cytokinins in nitrate regulation of nitrate reductase activity and expression in barley

The responses of nitrate reductase (NR) activity and levels of NR-mRNA to environmental nitrate and exogenous cytokinins are characterised in roots and shoots of barley ( Hordeum vulgare L., cv. Golf), using a chemostate-like culture system for controlling nitrate nutrition. Experiments were mainly performed with split root cultures where nitrate-N was supplied at a constant relative addition rate of 0.09 day⁻¹, and distributed between the subroots in a ratio of 20%:80%. The subroot NR-mRNA level and NR activity, as well as the endogenous level of zeatin riboside (ZR), increased when the local nitrate supply to one of the subroots was increased 4-fold by reversing the nitrate addition ratio (i.e. from 20%:80% to 80%:20%). Also shoot levels of ZR, NR-mRNA and NR activity increased in response to this treatment, even though the total nitrate supply remained unaltered. External supply of ZR at 0.1 μ M caused an approximately 3-fold increase in root ZR levels within 6 h. which is comparable to the nitrate-induced increase in root ZR. External application of ZR. zeatin. isopentenyl adenine or isopentenyl adenosine at 0.1 μ M caused from insignificant to 25% increases in NR-mRNA and activity in roots and up to 100% stimulation in shoots, whereas adenine or adenosine had no effect. No synergistic effects of perturbed nitrate supply and cytokinin application were detected in either roots or shoots. The translocation of nitrate from the root to the shoot was unaffected by application of ZR or switching the nitrate distribution ratio between subroots. The data give arguments for a physiological role of cytokinins in the response of root and shoot NR to environmental nitrate availability. The nature and limitations of the physiological role of cytokinins are discussed.     

Adaptations of Photosynthetic Electron Transport,Carbon Assimilation,and Carbon Partitioning in Transgenic Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Plants to Changes in Nitrate Reductase Activity

Transgenic Nicotiana plumbaginifolia plants that express either a 5-fold increase or a 20-fold decrease in nitrate reductase (NR) activity were used to study the relationships between carbon and nitrogen metabolism in leaves. Under saturating irradiance the maximum rate of photosynthesis, per unit surface area, was decreased in the low NR expressors but was relatively unchanged in the high NR expressors compared with the wild-type controls. However, when photosynthesis was expressed on a chlorophyll (Chl) basis the low NR plants had comparable or even higher values than the wild-type plants. Surprisingly, the high NR expressors showed very similar rates of photosynthesis and respiration to the wild-type plants and contained identical amounts of leaf Chl, carbohydrate, and protein. These plants were provided with a saturating supply of nitrate plus a basal level of ammonium during all phases of growth. Under these conditions overexpression of NR had little impact on leaf metabolism and did not stimulate growth or biomass production. Large differences in photochemical quenching and nonphotochemical quenching components of Chl a fluorescence, as well as the ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence, (FV/FM), were apparent in the low NR expressors in comparison with the wild-type controls. Light intensity-dependent increases in nonphotochemical quenching and decreases in FV/FM were greatest in the low NR expressors, whereas photochemical quenching decreased uniformly with increasing irradiance in all plant types. Nonphotochemical quenching was increased at all except the lowest irradiances in the low NR expressors, allowing photosystem II to remain oxidized on its acceptor side. The relative contributions of photochemical and nonphotochemical quenching of Chl a fluorescence with changing irradiance were virtually identical in the high NR expressors and the wild-type controls. Zeaxanthin was present in all leaves at high irradiances; however, at high irradiance leaves from the low NR expressors contained considerably more zeaxanthin and less violaxanthin than wild-type controls or high NR expressors. The leaves of the low NR expressors contained less Chl, protein, and amino acids than controls but retained more carbohydrate (starch and sucrose) than the wild type or high NR expressors. Sucrose phosphate synthase activities were remarkably similar in all plant types regardless of the NR activity. In contrast phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activities were increased on a Chl or protein basis in the low NR expressors compared with the wild-type controls or high NR expressors. We conclude that large decreases in NR have profound repercussions for photosynthesis and carbon partitioning within the leaf but that increases in NR have negligible effects.