The rate of CO(2) assimilation controls the expression and activity of glutamine synthetase through sugar formation in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L) leaves

The expression and activity of glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2) were examined in relation to the rate of CO2 assimilation in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) leaves. Intact plants were kept in the dark for 72 h and subsequently exposed to light under different atmospheric CO2 concentrations (100, 400 and 1200 microl l-1) for 6 h. The in vivo rates of net CO2 assimilation correlated with atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Stomatal conductances and transpiration rates remained largely unaffected by CO2 levels. Exposure of the plants to increasing CO2 concentrations in the light caused concomitant increases in the contents of starch and soluble sugars and a decrease in the nitrate content in leaves. Both cytosolic and chloroplastic (GS2) GS activities were higher at elevated CO2. A greater accumulation of GS2 mRNA was also observed under high CO2. Exogenous supply of sucrose to detached leaves greatly increased the levels of GS enzyme activity and of mRNA for chloroplastic GS in the dark. These results indicate that GS expression and activity in sunflower leaves are modulated by the rate of CO2 assimilation, and that photosynthesized sugars are presumably involved as regulatory metabolites.

Modulation of nitrate reductase activity in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) roots

Nitrate reductase (NR) (EC 1.6.6.1) activity and NR activation state, i.e. activity in the presence of Mg(2+) relative to activity in the absence of Mg(2+), in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) leaves increased in the light and decreased in the dark. In contrast to leaves, NR activation state in the roots did not show light/dark-dependent changes. Root NR was activated by anoxia or by addition of uncoupler (CCCP) or mannose. These treatments decreased ATP levels in root tissue. On the contrary, high oxygen supply promoted some NR inactivation. When an extract from anoxic roots was preincubated with ATP, NR was gradually inactivated. Subsequent addition of 5'-AMP resulted in a remarkable reactivation of the enzyme. NR extracted from hyperoxygenated roots was activated by preincubation with 5'-AMP, and the process was reversed by ATP. These results suggest the participation of adenine nucleotides on the in vivo modulation of NR activity in cucumber roots. NR was activated in vivo by cellular acidification and inactivated by alkalinisation. The acid-induced activation of NR was greatly prevented by okadaic acid, a protein phosphatase inhibitor. Our data indicate that, as in barley roots, anoxia, uncouplers, and mannose feeding activate cucumber root NR, at least partly, by enhancing NR dephosphorylation via a decrease in the internal level of ATP and a concomitant cellular acidification.

A short-term exposure of cucumber plants to rising atmospheric CO2 increases leaf carbohydrate content and enhances nitrate reductase expression and activity

Nitrate reductase (NR; EC 1.6.6.1) is the first enzyme of the nitrate-assimilatory pathway and is regulated transcriptionally and post-translationally by several metabolic and environmental signals. To investigate whether NR is controlled by the rate of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation in cucumber (Cucumis sastivus L.), intact plants were exposed, after the dark period, to light under different atmospheric CO2 concentrations (100, 400 and 2,000 microL x L(-1)) for 2 h. The in-vivo rates of net CO2 assimilation correlated with atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The CO2-fixation rate under 2,000 microL x L(-1) CO2 was 2.4- and 5.4-fold higher than under 400 and 100 microL x L(-1), respectively. Stomatal conductances and transpiration rates were almost identical after the 2-h light period under the various CO2 concentrations tested. Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations caused concomitant increases in the contents of starch and soluble sugars in the leaves and a decrease in the nitrate content. The activity and activation state of NR were both higher under elevated CO2 than under low CO2. High CO2 also enhanced NR-gene expression in the leaves. Sugars were supplied via roots to intact carbohydrate-starved plants and NR mRNA levels were analysed after 7 h. Fructose markedly stimulated NR-gene transcription in both leaves and roots. It is concluded that, in cucumber plants, the rate of CO2 assimilation controls the rate of nitrate assimilation by modulation of NR expression and activity, and that sugars are presumably involved as regulatory metabolites.

Glutamine-synthetase isoforms appearing in sunflower cotyledons during germination : Effects of light and nitrate

Ion-exchange chromatography has been used to separate the isoforms of glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2) appearing in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. cv. Peredovic) cotyledons during seedling growth under different light and nitrogen conditions. Both in dry and imbibed seeds, only a single form of GS (GSs) was detected. Upon seed germination, the GSs isoform was gradually replaced by cytosolic (GS1) and plastidic (GS2) isoforms. Light and nitrate decreased the levels of GS1. In contrast, the appearance of GS2 was greatly stimulated by light. Nitrate also had a positive effect, particularly in the light. Light and nitrate acted synergistically on the appearance of GS2. The GS2:GS1 ratio in cotyledons of 9-d-old seedlings ranged from about 2, in darkness and nitrate-deprivation conditions, to 16 under light and nitrate application. The possible physiological roles of the distinct GS isoforms appearing in the epigeal cotyledons of sunflower during germination, and their differential regulation by light and nitrate, are discussed.

Nitrate and nitrite uptake and reduction by intact sunflower plants

Nitrogen-starved sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L. cv. Peredovic) cannot absorb NO 3 (-) or NO 2 (-) upon initial exposure to these anions. Ability of the plants to take up NO 3 (-) and NO 2 (-) at high rates from the beginning was induced by a pretreatment with NO 3 (-) . Nitrite also acted as inducer of the NO 2 (-) -uptake system. The presence of cycloheximide during NO 3 (-) -pretreatment prevented the subsequent uptake of NO 3 (-) and NO 2 (-) , indicating that both uptake systems are synthesized de novo when plants are exposed to NO 3 (-) . Cycloheximide also suppressed nitrate-reductase (EC 1.6.6.1) and nitrite-reductase (EC 1.7.7.1) activities in the roots. The sulfhydryl-group reagent N-ethylmaleimide greatly inhibited the uptake of NO 3 (-) and NO 2 (-) . Likewise, N-ethylmaleimide promoted in vivo the inactivation of nitrate reductase without affecting nitrite-reductase activity. Rates of NO 3 (-) and NO 2 (-) uptake as a function of external anion concentration exhibited saturation kinetics. The calculated Km values for NO 3 (-) and NO 2 (-) uptake were 45 and 23 μM, respectively. Rates of NO 3 (-) uptake were four to six times higher than NO 3 (-) -reduction rates in roots. In contrast, NO 2 (-) -uptake rates, found to be very similar to NO 3 (-) -uptake rates, were much lower (about 30 times) than NO 2 (-) -reduction rates. Removal of oxygen from the external solution drastically suppressed NO 3 (-) and NO 2 (-) uptake without affecting their reduction. Uptake and reduction were also differentially affected by pH. The results demonstrate that uptake of NO 3 (-) and NO 2 (-) into sunflower plants is mediated by energy-dependent inducible-transport systems distinguishable from the respective enzymatic reducing systems.

Development of nitrogen-assimilating enzymes in sunflower cotyledons during germination as affected by the exogenous nitrogen source

Activities of nitrate reductase (NR; EC 1.6.6.1), nitrite reductase (NiR; EC 1.7.7.1), glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH; EC 1.4.1.3) were measured in cotyledons of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. cv Peredovic) seedlings during germination and early growth under various external nitrogen sources. The presence of NO 3 (-) in the medium promoted a gradual increase in the levels of NR and NiR activities during the first 7 d of germination. Neither NR nor NiR activities were increased in a nitrogen-free medium or in media with either NH 4 (+) or urea as nitrogen sources. Moreover, the presence of NH 4 (+) did not abolish the NO 3 (-) -dependent appearance of NR and NiR activities. The increase of NR activity was impaired both by cycloheximide and chloramphenicol, which indicates that both cytoplasmic 80S and plastidic 70S ribosomes are involved in the synthesis of the NR molecule. By contrast, the appearance of NiR activity was only inhibited by cycloheximide, indicating that NiR seems to be exclusively synthesized on the cytoplasmic 80S ribosomes. Glutamine-synthetase activity was also strongly increased by external NO 3 (-) but not by NH 4 (+) or urea. The appearance of GS activity was more efficiently suppressed by cycloheximide than chloramphenicol. This indicates that GS is mostly synthesized in the cytoplasm. The cotyledons of the dry seed contain high levels of GDH activity which decline during germination independently of the presence or absence of a nitrogen source. Cycloheximide, but not chloramphenicol, greatly prevented the decrease of GDH activity.