Skip to main content
PMC home page
Plant Physiology logoLink to Plant Physiology
. 1972 Dec;50(6):649–654. doi: 10.1104/pp.50.6.649

Synthesis and Turnover of Nitrate Reductase in Corn Roots 1

Ann Oaks a, W Wallace a, D Stevens a
PMCID: PMC366209  PMID: 16658236

Abstract

The induction and reinduction of nitrate reductase in root tip or mature root sections show essentially a similar pattern: a lag, a period of rapid increase in enzyme activity and finally a period of relatively minor change. Both inductions are sensitive to 6-methylpurine and cycloheximide. Kinetic studies with 6-methylpurine suggest that the half-life of the messenger RNA for nitrate reductase in both sections is about 20 minutes. The rate of decay of nitrate reductase activity induced by transfer to a nitrate-free medium is slower in root tips (t½ = 3 hours) than in mature root sections (t½ = 2 hours). The enzyme from mature root sections is also less stable to mild heat treatments (27 C; 40 C) than the enzyme from root tip sections. The results indicate that factors regulating enzyme turnover show important changes as root cells mature and may be significant in determining steady state levels of the enzyme.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Cove D. J., Pateman J. A. Autoregulation of the synthesis of nitrate reductase in Aspergillus nidulans. J Bacteriol. 1969 Mar;97(3):1374–1378. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.3.1374-1378.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dezelee S., Sentenac A., Fromageot P. Study on yeast RNA polymerase. Effect of alpha-amanitan and rifampicin. FEBS Lett. 1970 Apr 16;7(3):220–222. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(70)80165-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. ERICKSON R. O., GODDARD D. R. An analysis of root growth in cellular and biochemical terms. Growth. 1951;(Suppl 10):89–116. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Filner P. Regulation of nitrate reductase in cultured tobacco cells. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1966 May 5;118(2):299–310. doi: 10.1016/s0926-6593(66)80038-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Filner P., Varner J. E., Wray J. L. Environmental or developmental changes cause many enzyme activities of higher plants to rise or fall. Science. 1969 Jul 25;165(3891):358–367. doi: 10.1126/science.165.3891.358. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Heimer Y. M., Filner P. Regulation of the nitrate assimilation pathway of cultured tobacco cells. II. Properties of a variant cell line. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1970 Jul 21;215(1):152–165. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(70)90398-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ingle J. The regulation of activity of the enzymes involved in the assimilation of nitrate by higher plants. Biochem J. 1966 Sep;100(3):577–588. doi: 10.1042/bj1000577. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. JENSEN W. A. A morphological and biochemical analysis of the early phases of cellular growth in the root tip of Vicia faba. Exp Cell Res. 1955 Jun;8(3):506–522. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(55)90127-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lewis C. M., Fincham J. R. Regulation of nitrate reductase in the basidiomycete Ustilago maydis. J Bacteriol. 1970 Jul;103(1):55–61. doi: 10.1128/jb.103.1.55-61.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Martin D., Jr, Tomkins G. M., Granner D. Synthesis and induction of tyrosine aminotransferase in synchronized hepatoma cells in culture. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1969 Jan;62(1):248–255. doi: 10.1073/pnas.62.1.248. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Oaks A., Beevers H. The Requirement for Organic Nitrogen in Zea mays Embryos. Plant Physiol. 1964 Jan;39(1):37–43. doi: 10.1104/pp.39.1.37. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Oaks A. Transport of amino acids to the maize root. Plant Physiol. 1966 Jan;41(1):173–180. doi: 10.1104/pp.41.1.173. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. SCHIMKE R. T., SWEENEY E. W., BERLIN C. M. THE ROLES OF SYNTHESIS AND DEGRADATION IN THE CONTROL OF RAT LIVER TRYPTOPHAN PYRROLASE. J Biol Chem. 1965 Jan;240:322–331. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sanderson G. W., Cocking E. C. Enzymic Assimilation of Nitrate in Tomato Plants. I. Reduction of Nitrate to Nitrite. Plant Physiol. 1964 May;39(3):416–422. doi: 10.1104/pp.39.3.416. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Schrader L. E., Ritenour G. L., Eilrich G. L., Hageman R. H. Some characteristics of nitrate reductase from higher plants. Plant Physiol. 1968 Jun;43(6):930–940. doi: 10.1104/pp.43.6.930. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sippel A., Hartmann G. Mode of action of rafamycin on the RNA polymerase reaction. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1968 Mar 18;157(1):218–219. doi: 10.1016/0005-2787(68)90286-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sorger G. J. Nitrate reductase electron transport systems in mutant and in wild-type strains of Neurospora. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1966 Jun 15;118(3):484–494. doi: 10.1016/s0926-6593(66)80091-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Subramanian K. N., Sorger G. J. Regulation of nitrate reductase in Neurospora crassa: stability in vivo. J Bacteriol. 1972 May;110(2):538–546. doi: 10.1128/jb.110.2.538-546.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tomkins G. M., Gelehrter T. D., Granner D., Martin D., Jr, Samuels H. H., Thompson E. B. Control of specific gene expression in higher organisms. Expression of mammalian genes may be controlled by repressors acting on the translation of messenger RNA. Science. 1969 Dec 19;166(3912):1474–1480. doi: 10.1126/science.166.3912.1474. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Travis R. L., Jordan W. R., Huffaker R. C. Evidence for an Inactivating System of Nitrate Reductase in Hordeum vulgare L. during Darkness That Requires Protein Synthesis. Plant Physiol. 1969 Aug;44(8):1150–1156. doi: 10.1104/pp.44.8.1150. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Warner R. L., Hageman R. H., Dudley J. W., Lambert R. J. Inheritance of nitrate reductase activity in Zea mays L. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1969 Mar;62(3):785–792. doi: 10.1073/pnas.62.3.785. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Zielke H. R., Filner P. Synthesis and turnover of nitrate reductase induced by nitrate in cultured tobacco cells. J Biol Chem. 1971 Mar 25;246(6):1772–1779. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Plant Physiology are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES