兼性CAM植物NAD—苹果酸酶的行为研究

以土三七（Ｓｅｄｕｍ ａｉｚｏｏｎ）和露花（Ｍｅｓｅｍ ｂｒｙａｎｔｈｅｍ ｕｍ ｃｏｒｄｉｆｏｌｉｕｍ ）为材料,对兼性景天酸代谢（ＣＡＭ）植物的ＮＡＤ－苹果酸酶作了初步研究。当有５ ｍ ｍ ｏｌ／ＬＭｎＣｌ２、６ ｍ ｍ ｏｌ／ＬＭａｌ和５０ μｍ ｏｌ／ＬＣｏＡ 存在时,其最适ｐＨ 为７,且在低ｐＨ（７ 以下）范围内活性较高,而在高ｐＨ（７以上）范围内活性较低。该酶活性有季节性的变化,在７ 月份酶活性达最高峰,这与羧化系统的磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸（ＰＥＰＣ）活性变化趋势基本一致。同时,其活性也有昼夜变化,白天活性高,夜间活性低。经水分胁迫诱导出ＣＡＭ 后,ＮＡＤ－ＭＥ活性增加了２—３ 倍。我们认为,ＣＡＭ的调节是由羧化系统的ＰＥＰＣ和脱羧系统的ＮＡＤ－ＭＥ协调作用的结果     

菠萝叶片的稳定碳同位素比与PEP羧化酶及PEP羧激酶活性

专性景天酸代谢（ＣＡＭ）植物菠萝（Ａｎａｎａｓｃｏｍ ｏｓｕｓ （Ｌ．） Ｍｅｒｒ．）的下数第５ 到第３５ 位叶为材料,研究稳定性碳素同位素（δ１３Ｃ）值,磷酸稀醇式丙酮酸（ＰＥＰ）羧化酶和ＰＥＰ羧激酶活性的变化。１１ 个不同叶位叶片的δ１３Ｃ值平均为－ １２．９４‰,最大变幅相差－ ２．０６‰。两个酶的活性呈单峰形变化,第８—１１ 位叶的活性最高,低位叶的酶活下降。本试验条件下,ＰＥＰ羧激酶平均活性比ＰＥＰ羧化酶高３．４ 倍。结果表明,ＣＡＭ 植物的暗下羧化与光下脱羧之间具有一定的协调性。老叶虽然酶活较低,但总的看来,ＣＡＭ 水平变化不大     

曲霉N1—14‘胞质酶活性与产L—苹果酸能力的关系

Ｌ－苹果酸（ＬＭＡ）高产突变株曲霉Ｎ１－１４’在高产酸状态下,其胞质中催化ＣＯ２固定反应的酶有四种：丙酮酸羧化酶（ＰＣ）、磷酸烯醇丙酮羧化酶（ＰＥＰＣ）、磷酸烯醇丙酮酸羧化激酶（ＰＣＫ）和苹果酸酶（ＭＥ）;除ＭＥ之外,三种羧化酶的活性与ＬＭＡ产生速率呈较好的线性正相关关系;苹果酸脱氢酶（ＭＤＨ）活性比ＰＣ等酶高２￣３个数量级;琥珀酸脱氢酶（ＳＤＨ）活力则明显低,几种酶只有ＳＤＨ与发酵醪中ＬＭＡ含量     

ABA和6—BA对干旱玉米幼苗PEP羧化酶活性的影响（简报）

玉米幼苗ＰＥＰ羧化酶活性随着土壤含量的下降而逐渐下降,复水后其活性虽然有回升,但未恢复到干旱前水平,叶面喷施１０＾－５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ ６－ＢＡ可提高玉米幼苗ＰＥＰ羧化酶活性,而同样浓度的ＡＢＡ则抑制ＰＥＰ羧化酶活性。６－ＢＡ还可增加干旱条件下玉米幼苗的光合速率,叶水势和叶绿素含量。     

大鼠甘氨肽酰化单氧酶在CHO细胞中的活怀表达及在体外酰胺化？…

将大鼠脑ＣＤＮＡ库来源的ＰＡＭ基因片段,经克隆重组,成真核表达质粒ＰＳＶ－ＰＡＭ〈并转染ＣＨＯ细胞,获得在ＣＨＯ中稳定表达活性型α－酰胺化酶的细胞株ＤＧＡＥ。 物为双功能酶,分泌至培养基中的酶活力远高于胞内。体外酰胺化加工研究表明。以α－Ｎ＿ａｃｅｔｙｌ－Ｔｙｒ－Ｖａｌ－Ｇｌｙ为底物,该酶催化反应的Ｋｍ为１２．５μｍｏｌ／Ｌ,Ｖｍａｘ为１８０μｍｏｌ／ｍｇ／ｈ,而且催化反应中表现中有最适铜离子浓度     

青心酮对妊娠高血压综合征胎盘血管内皮和平滑肌细胞内一氧化氮合酶的影响

本文对正常孕妇、妊娠高血压综合征（ＰＩＨ）患者和经青心酮（ＤＨＡＰ）治疗的ＰＩＨ患者等共２４例,应用组织化学分析方法观察胎盘血管内皮细胞（ＶＥＣ）和平滑肌细胞（ＶＳＭＣ）内一氧化氮合酶（ＮＯＳ）活性的变化。结果表明：正常孕妇胎盘ＶＥＣ和ＶＳＭＣ内ＮＯＳ活性较高;ＰＩＨ胎盘ＶＥＣ和ＶＳＭＣ内ＮＯＳ活性明显减弱,并伴有组织和细胞的形态学损伤;经ＤＨＡＰ治疗后的ＰＩＨ胎盘ＶＥＣ和ＶＳＭＣ细胞ＮＯＳ活性较未经ＤＨＡＰ治疗者明显增加,其组织和细胞损伤也减轻。本研究结果提示胎盘内ＶＥＣ和ＶＳＭＣ细胞的ＮＯＳ减少可能与ＰＩＨ的发生和／或发展有关,青心酮治疗ＰＩＨ的作用可能与ＤＨＡＰ促进胎盘ＶＥＣ和ＶＳＭＣ内一氧化氮（ＮＯ）合成有关。     

肺血管EDNO及其合酶在大鼠低氧性肺动脉高压形成中的作用

本研究观察了低氧对大鼠肺组织和血管内皮一氧化氮合酶（ＮＯＳ）活性及内皮衍生一氧化氮（ＥＤＮＯ）依赖性舒张反应的影响,以及ＮＯＳ抑制剂（Ｌ－ＮＡＭＥ）对常氧和低氧大鼠肺组织和血管内皮ＮＯＳ活性及颈、肺动脉血压（ＣＡＰｓ、ｍＰＡＰ）的作用。结果表明常氧大鼠肺泡内无肌性血管内皮未见ＮＯＳ活性,其肺血管床对ＥＤＮＯ依赖性舒血管物质ＢＫ没有反应,注射Ｌ－ＮＡＭＥ后大鼠ｍＰＡＰ略有降低,ＣＡＰｓ有所升高。低氧大鼠肺泡内无肌性血管内皮显示ＮＯＳ活性,对ＢＫ的ＥＤＮＯ依赖性舒张反应呈剂量依赖性增大,注射Ｌ－ＮＡＭＥ使低氧大鼠ｍＰＡＰ显著降低（Ｐ＜０．０１）,ＣＡＰｓ显著升高（Ｐ＜０．０５）。提示肺血管ＥＤＮＯ及其合酶在维持正常成年大鼠肺循环低压低阻中的生理作用值得进一步探讨;低氧引起肺血管内皮ｅｃＮＯＳ活性增加和ＥＤＮＯ生成增多可能起到限制肺动脉压过度升高的调制作用,也可能对肺血管内皮产生毒性作用,反而促进肺动脉高压的发生和发展。     

短暂低氧／复氧对培养新生兔心肌细胞丝裂素活化蛋白激酶活性的影响

心肌细胞短暂低氧可诱导对后续长时间低氧所致细胞严重损伤的耐力增强,已在心脏预处理（ＰＣ）模型上得到证实,但ＰＣ发生的细胞内信号传导途径目前尚不清楚。我们在培养的新生兔心肌细胞低氧／复氧模型上,观察丝裂素活化蛋白激酶（ＭＡＰＫ）和核蛋白体Ｓ６激酶（Ｓ６Ｋ）活性改变。结果发现：低氧６０ｍｉｎ后、复氧１５ｍｉｎ,细胞总ＭＡＰＫ和核ＭＡＰＫ活性分别较对照组增加９５％和２３０％（Ｐ〈０．０１）;Ｓ６Ｋ活性在     

一种快速非同位素测定2',5'-寡聚腺苷酸合成酶活性的方法

介绍一种新的非同位素测定２′,５′－寡聚腺苷酸合成酶（２′,５′－ＯＡＳＥ）活性的方法．反应液经已糖激酶处理,点样于ＰＥＩ－纤维素薄层层析板上,经甲醇浸泡与预层析和在０．７５ｍｏｌ／ＬＫＨ２ＰＯ４（ｐＨ３．５）缓冲液中的层析可使ＡＤＰ和２′,５′－Ａｎ分离开,系统偏差和２′,５′－ＯＡＳＥ测活分析表明,本方法可用于粗酶液及部分纯化酶液的２′,５′－ＯＡＳＥ活性测定,并可用于临床生化分析     

不同磷脂和糖脂对莱氏衣原体膜上Mg~（2＋）－ATPase活性的影响

莱氏衣原体膜上Ｍｇ~（２＋）－ＡＴＰａｓｅ用ＤＯＣ溶解后,经Ｓｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅ－６Ｂ和ＤＥＡＥ－ＣｅｌｌｕｌｏｓｅＤＥ－５２离子交换柱,得到了部分纯化的Ｍｇ~（２＋）ＡＴＰａｓｅ,并将此ＡＴＰａｓｅ与不同极性头部的磷脂和膜糖脂重组,研究了不同的极性头部的磷脂和膜糖脂对ＡＴＰａｓｅ活性的影响。此酶的活性不依赖酸性磷脂,ＰＧ、ＤＰＧ、大豆磷脂等明显抑制酶活性,中性磷脂ＤＭＰＣ、ＰＥ、ＰＣ则能增加酶活性,其中尤以非双层脂ＰＥ的作用最为明显。从莱氏衣原体膜上提取的糖脂（ＭＧＤＧ,ＤＧＤＧ）单独和ＡＴＰａｓｅ重组时,酶活性增加并不明显,当ＭＧＤＧ和ＤＧＤＧ以等比例混合时,能大大地增加酶活性。这表明Ｍｇ~（２＋）－ＡＴＰａｓｅ的活性很大程度上与磷脂的表面电荷及磷脂的组成相关。     

Diurnal changes in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase properties in the natural environment: interplay of light and temperature in a C4 thermophile

Activities of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31) were measured in leaf extracts of field grown Amaranthus paniculatus L. (C₄) during a natural diurnal irradiance and temperature pattern. Enzyme assays were run at both fixed (30°C) and the corresponding leaf temperature at the time of harvest. Light activation of PEP carboxylase (PEPCase) at fixed assay temperatures was expressed as a decrease in S_0–5 (PEP) after a threshold (> 330 μmol m^–2 s^–1) photon fluence rate was surpassed at noon. Earlier in the morning, increase in apparent enzyme affinity for PEP was observed when the assay was run at leaf temperature, indicating a physiologically meaningfull effect of temperature on S^0.5 (PEP). The 3.3-fold increase in PEPCase activity at low PEP and fixed assay temperature between the minimal and maximal irradiance and temperature hours of the day, became 12.8-, 11.5- and 7.4-fold when assays were run at the corresponding leaf temperature during three diurnal cycles with respective temperature differences (max minus min) of 9.0, 8.3 and 7.4°C. The extent of malate inhibition was the same for both day and night forms of PEPCase assayed at 35°C, but increased considerably with night enzyme at 25°C. The results indicate that light increases the apparent affinity of PEPCase for PEP and that at lower temperatures malate becomes more inhibitory. Pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase activity started to increase immediately after sunrise and the 10-fold increase at fixed temperature became 14.8-, 14.2- and 13.1-fold when assays were run at the above leaf temperatures. This indicates that the light effect predominates with pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase, while with phosphoenolpyravate carboxylase, light and temperature co-operate to increase the day enzyme activities.     

A non-radioactive method for measuring Rubisco activase activity in the presence of variable ATP: ADP ratios,including modifications for measuring the activity and activation state of Rubisco

Rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) catalyzes carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate, the first in a series of reactions leading to the incorporation of atmospheric CO₂ into biomass. Rubisco requires Rubisco activase (RCA), an AAA+ ATPase that reactivates Rubisco by remodelling the conformation of inhibitor-bound sites. RCA is regulated by the ratio of ADP:ATP, with the precise response potentiated by redox regulation of the alpha-isoform. Measuring the effects of ADP on the activation of Rubisco by RCA using the well-established photometric assay is problematic because of the adenine nucleotide requirement of 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA) kinase. Described here is a novel assay for measuring RCA activity in the presence of variable ratios of ADP:ATP. The assay couples the formation of 3-PGA from ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate and CO₂ to NADH oxidation through cofactor-dependent phosphoglycerate mutase, enolase, PEP carboxylase and malate dehydrogenase. The assay was used to determine the effects of Rubisco and RCA concentration and ADP:ATP ratio on RCA activity, and to measure the activation of a modified Rubisco by RCA. Variations of the basic assay were used to measure the activation state of Rubisco in leaf extracts and the activity of purified Rubisco. The assay can be automated for high-throughput processing by conducting the reactions in two stages.     

Photosynthesis in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-type C4 plants: pathways of C4 acid decarboxylation in bundle sheath cells of Urochloa panicoides

The mechanism of C4 acid decarboxylation was studied in bundle sheath cell strands from Urochloa panicoides, a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK)-type C4 plant. Added malate was decarboxylated to give pyruvate and this activity was often increased by adding ADP. Added oxaloacetate or aspartate plus 2-oxoglutarate (which produce oxaloacetate via aspartate aminotransferase) gave little metabolic decarboxylation alone but with added ATP there was a rapid production of PEP. For this activity ADP could replace ATP but only when added in combination with malate. In addition, the inclusion of aspartate plus 2-oxoglutarate with malate plus ADP often increased the rate of pyruvate production from malate by more than twofold. Experiments with respiratory chain inhibitors showed that the malate-dependent stimulation of oxaloacetate decarboxylation (PEP production) was probably due to ATP generated during the oxidation of malate in mitochondria. We could provide no evidence that photophosphorylation could serve as an alternative source of ATP for the PEP carboxykinase reaction. We concluded that both PEP carboxykinase and mitochondrial NAD-malic enzyme contribute to C4 acid decarboxylation in these cells, with the required ATP being derived from oxidation-linked phosphorylation in mitochondria.     

Diurnal modulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylation in pea leaves and roots as related to tissue malate concentrations and to the nitrogen source

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylation was measured as dark ¹⁴CO₂ fixation in leaves and roots (in vivo) or as PEP carboxylase (PEPCase) activity in desalted leaf and roof extracts (in vitro) from Pisum sativum L. cv. Kleine Rheinländerin. Its relation to the malate content and to the nitrogen source (nitrate or ammonium) was investigated. In tissue from nitrate-grown plants, PEP carboxylation varied diurnally, showing an increase upon illumination and a decrease upon darkening. Diurnal variations in roots were much lower than in leaves. Fixation rates in leaves remained constantly low in continuous darkness or high in continuous light. Dark CO₂ fixation of leaf slices also decreased when leaves were preilluminated for 1 h in CO₂-free air, suggesting that the modulation of dark CO2 fixation was related to assimilate availability in leaves and roots. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity was also measured in vitro. However, no difference in maximum enzyme activity was found in extracts from illuminated or darkened leaves, and the response to substrate and effectors (PEP, malate, glucose-6-phosphate, pH) was also identical. The serine/threonine protein kinase inhibitors K252b, H7 and staurosporine, and the protein phosphatase 2A inhibitors okadaic acid and cantharidin, fed through the leaf petiole, did not have the effects on dark CO₂ fixation predicted by a regulatory system in which PEPCase is modulated via reversible protein phosphorylation. Therefore, it is suggested that the diurnal modulation of PEP carboxylation in vivo in leaves and roots of pea is not caused by protein phosphorylation, but rather by direct allosteric effects. Upon transfer of plants to ammonium-N or to an N-free nutrient solution, mean daily malate levels in leaves decreased drastically within 4–5 d. At that time, the diurnal oscillations of PEP carboxylation in vivo disappeared and rates remained at the high light-level. The coincidence of the two events suggests that PEPCase was de-regulated because malate levels became very low. The drastic decrease of leaf malate contents upon transfer of plants from nitrate to ammonium nutrition was apparently not caused by increased amino acid or protein synthesis, but probably by higher decarboxylation rates.Abbreviations CAM crassulacean acid metabolism - PEP Phosphoenolpyruvate - PEPCase phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase - PP protein phosphatase - PK protein kinase This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. B. Baur was a recipient of a doctoral grant, and L. Leport recipient of a post-doctoral grant of the DFG. The skilled technical assistance of Eva Wirth and Maria Lesch is gratefully acknowledged.     

Interference by phosphatases in the spectrophotometric assay for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase

The aim of this work was to discover the extent of interference by phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) phosphatase in spectrophotometric assays of PEP carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31) in crude extracts of plant organs. The presence of PEP phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) in extracts leads to PEP-dependent NADH oxidation that is independent of PEP carboxylase activity, and hence to overestimation of PEP carboxylase activity. In extracts of three organs of pea (Pisum sativum L.: leaves, developing embryos, and Rhizobium nodules), two organs of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.: developing grain and endosperm), and leaves of Moricandia arvensis (L.) D.C., lactate dehydrogenase activity was at most only 16% of that of PEP carboxylase at the pH optimum for PEP carboxylase activity. Endogenous PEP phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase are thus unlikely to interfere seriously with the assay for PEP carboxylase at its optimum pH. Addition of lactate dehydrogenase to PEP carboxylase assays— a proposed means of correcting for nonenzymic decarboxylation of oxaloacetate to pyruvate—resulted in increases in PEP-dependent NADH oxidation from zero (Rhizobium nodules) to 131% (wheat grains). There was no obvious relationship between the magnitude of this increase and conditions in the assay that might promote oxaloacetate decarboxylation. However, the magnitude of the increase was highly positively correlated with the activity of PEP phosphatase in the extract. Addition of lactate dehydrogenase to PEP carboxylase assays can thus result in very large overestimations of PEP carboxylase activity, and should only be used as a means of correction for oxaloacetate decarboxylation for extracts with negligible PEP phosphatase activity.     

Characterization of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase from Panicum maximum

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, EC 4.1.1.32 (PEPCK), was purified 43-fold from the grass Panicum maximum. Michaelis constants (Km) were determined for the exchange reaction, the carboxylation reaction, and the decarboxylation reaction. The Km values for oxaloacetate and ATP in the decarboxylation reaction were found to be lower than the Km values for the substrates used in the exchange reaction and in the carboxylation reaction. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase was not detectable in the purified PEPCK preparation.     

The Relation Between Activity of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase and Photosynthesis in Aloe vera Leaves

The chlorophyllous layer of leaf of a PEP-CK type CAM plant Aloe vera was stripped tiff from the colorIess water storage tissue and used to stuly the interrelation between the activity of decarboxylating enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and photosynthesis. Oxaloacetate, malate+ADP, and NaHCO3 were found to stimulate photosynthetic oxygen evolution. During the period from 6:00 to 18:00 of the day time, a diurnal fluctuation was observed in both PEPCK activity and the rate of oxygen evolution. The maximum of photosynthesis appeared at 10-12:00, but the maximum PEPCK activity appeared at 14:00. The PEPCK activity and photosynthetic rate in leaf discs increased with temperature from 10 to 35℃, then decreased at 45℃. Similar decline of both parameters was found in the leaf discs stressed by different concentration of PEG-6000 solution for 4.5 h. At light intensity of 900 mol m-2 s-1 and 25℃, the PEPCK activity and photosynthetic rate of leaf discs rised with the illumination time, then a slight inhibition followed at the time of 30 min (Pn) or 40 min (PEPCK). The strong response of PEPCK activity to high light intensity in leaf discs, and a progressive increase of PEPCK activity in direct illumination of crude enzyme extractm the range of 0-55 min, indicated that light s likely to be an activator for PEPCK. Leaf discs were infiltrated with 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-l, 1-dimethylurea, DL-glyceraldehyde and 2,4-dimitrophenol resulted in the partial inhibition of light-ependent photosynthesis and decarboxylation of C4 acid. The activity of PEPCK was also stimulated by Mg2+ or Mg2++ATP infiltrated into the leaf discs in the dark. The evidence presented here suggested that PEPCK activity of CAM plants showed a close interrelation with photosynthesis. Both of them were regulated by the environmental changes. The activity of PEPCK might be coupled to electron trsnsport and photophosphorylatiou.     

Diurnal changes in the regulatory properties of PEP-carboxylase in Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM)

Abstract. The CAM plants Kalanchoe tubiflora and K. blossfeldiana were grown under photoperiodically controlled conditions (short days). In these plants, phos-phoenolpyruvate carboxylase capacity and the sensitivity of the enzyme to the effectors L-malate (inhibitor) and glucose-6-phosphate (activator) were measured throughout the diurnal CAM cycle. In K. tubiflora , enzyme capacity was higher if measured at pH 7.0 than at pH 8.0 and displayed a rhythmical behavior with highest values at the end of the light period. As reported earlier, in K. blossfeldiana PEP-C capacity was higher during the night. It was more pronounced when plants were kept in CO₂-free air during the dark period. In both plants, the sensitivity of the enzyme to the effectors showed very clear diurnal changes: inhibition by malate and activation by glucose-6-phosphate were strikingly higher during the day than during the night; the effect depended on PEP concentration. The changing activation of the enzyme by glucose-6-phos-phate reflects diurnal changes of the Km for PEP which was found to be higher during the day than during the night. Manipulations of malate accumulation by nocturnal application of CO₂-free air did not influence these effects. The results are discussed in context with the metabolic control of CAM.     

Photosynthesis in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-type C4 plants: photosynthetic activities of isolated bundle sheath cells from Urochloa panicoides

A method has been developed for rapidly preparing bundle sheath cell strands from Urochloa panicoides, a phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinase-type C4 plant. These cells catalyzed both HCO3(-)- and oxaloacetate-dependent oxygen evolution; oxaloacetate-dependent oxygen evolution was stimulated by ATP. For this activity oxaloacetate could be replaced by aspartate plus 2-oxoglutarate. Both oxaloacetate- and aspartate plus 2-oxoglutarate-dependent oxygen evolution were accompanied by PEP production and both were inhibited by 3-mercaptopicolinic acid, an inhibitor of PEP carboxykinase. The ATP requirement for oxaloacetate- and aspartate plus 2-oxoglutarate-dependent oxygen evolution could be replaced by ADP plus malate. The increased oxygen evolution observed when malate plus ADP was added with oxaloacetate was accompanied by pyruvate production. These results are consistent with oxaloacetate being decarboxylated via PEP carboxykinase. We suggest that the ATP required for oxaloacetate decarboxylation via PEP carboxykinase may be derived by phosphorylation coupled to malate oxidation in mitochondria. These bundle sheath cells apparently contain diffusion paths for the rapid transfer of compounds as large as adenine nucleotides.     

Influence of Nitrate and Ammonia on Photosynthetic Characteristics and Leaf Anatomy of Moricandia arvensis

The leaf anatomy and certain photosynthetic properties of nitrate- and ammonia-grown plants of Moricandia arvensis (L.) DC., a species previously reported to be a C₃-C₄ intermediate, were investigated. Nitrate-grown plants had a high level of malate in the leaves while ammonia-grown plants had low levels of malate. In young leaves of nitrate-grown plants, there was a diurnal fluctuation of malate content, increasing during the day and decreasing during the night. Titratable acidity remained low in leaves of both nitrate- and ammonia-grown plants.

In nitrate-grown plants, the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase was about 2-fold higher than in ammonia-grown plants, the latter having activity typical of C₃ species. Also, in nitrate-grown plants, the ratio of activities of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase/PEP carboxylase was lower than in ammonia-grown plants. Nitrate reductase activities were higher in nitrate- than in ammonia-grown plants and the greatest activity was found in younger leaves.

With nitrate-grown plants, during a pulse-chase experiment the label in malate, as a percentage of the total labeled products, increased from about 7% after a 10-second pulse with ¹⁴CO₂ up to 17% during a 5-minute chase with ¹²CO₂. The pattern of ¹⁴C labeling in various metabolites suggests the primary carboxylation is through RuBP carboxylase with a secondary carboxylation through PEP carboxylase. In similar experiments, with ammonia-grown plants, the percentage label in malate was only 0% to 4% with no increase in malate labeling during the chase period. The CO₂ compensation point was lower in nitrate-grown than ammonia-grown plants.

There was no evidence of Kranz-like anatomy in either the nitrate or ammonia-grown plants. Mitochondria of bundle-sheath cells were strikingly positioned along the inner tangential wall. This might allow the chloroplasts of these cells to fix the mitochondrial photorespired CO₂ more effectively and contribute to the low CO₂ compensation point in the species. Chloroplasts of bundle-sheath cells and contiguous mesophyll cells were similar in size and structure in plants grown on different media, although chloroplast thylakoids and stromata of the ammonia-grown plants stained more intensely than those of nitrate-grown plants. In addition, irregular clusters of phytoferritin particles occurred in the chloroplasts of the ammonia-grown plants.

The results indicate that the substantial activity of PEP carboxylase, incorporation of CO₂ into malate, the high malate content, and in part the relatively low CO₂ compensation point in Moricandia arvensis may be accounted for by metabolism of nitrate rather than by a state of C₃-C₄ intermediacy.