Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Regulation of glutamine synthetase isoforms in two differentially drought-tolerant rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars under water deficit conditions

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Plant Cell Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Key message

The regulation of GS isoforms by WD was organ specific. Two GS isoforms i.e. OsGS1;1 and OsGS2 were differentially regulated in IR-64 (drought-sensitive) and Khitish (drought-tolerant) cultivars of rice.

Abstract

Water deficit (WD) has adverse effect on rice (Oryza sativa L.) and acclimation requires essential reactions of primary metabolism to continue. Rice plants utilize ammonium as major nitrogen source, which is assimilated into glutamine by the reaction of Glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2). Rice plants possess one gene (OsGS2) for chloroplastic GS2 and three genes (OsGS1;1, OsGS1;2 and OsGS1;3) for cytosolic GS1. Here, we report the effect of WD on regulation of GS isoforms in drought-sensitive (cv. IR-64) and drought-tolerant (cv. Khitish) rice cultivars. Under WD, total GS activity in root and leaf decreased significantly in IR-64 seedlings in comparison to Khitish seedlings. The reduced GS activity in IR-64 leaf was mainly due to decrease in GS2 activity, which correlated with decrease in corresponding transcript and polypeptide contents. GS1 transcript and polypeptide accumulated in leaf during WD, however, GS1 activity was maintained at a constant level. Total GS activity in stem of both the varieties was insensitive to WD. Among GS1 genes, OsGS1;1 expression was differently regulated by WD in the two rice varieties. Its transcript accumulated more abundantly in IR-64 leaf than in Khitish leaf. Following WD, OsGS1;1 mRNA level in stem and root tissues declined in IR-64 and enhanced in Khitish. A steady OsGS1;2 expression patterns were noted in leaf, stem and root of both the cultivars. Results suggest that OsGS2 and OsGS1;1 expression may contribute to drought tolerance of Khitish cultivar under WD conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bates L, Waldren PP, Teare JD (1973) Rapid determination of the free proline of water stress studies. Plant Soil 39:205–207

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bernard SM, Habash DZ (2009) The importance of cytosolic glutamine synthetase in nitrogen assimilation and recycling. New Phytol 182:608–620

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bernard SM, Møller ALB, Kichey GDT, Jahn TP, Dubois F, Baudo M, Lopes MS, Terce′-Laforgue T, Foyer CH, Parry MAJ, Forde BG, Araus JL, Hirel B, Schjoerring JK, Habash DZ (2008) Gene expression, cellular localisation and function of glutamine synthetase isozymes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Plant Mol Biol 67:89–105

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blum A (1982) Evidence for genetic variability in drought resistance and its implication in plant breeding. In: International Rice Research Institute (ed) Drought resistance in crops with emphasis on rice. IRRI, Philippines, pp 53–68

  • Blum A (2005) Drought resistance, water-use efficiency, and yield potential are they compatible, dissonant, or mutually exclusive? Aust J Agri Res 56:1159–1168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein binding. Anal Biochem 72:248–254

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Forde BG, Cullimore JV (1989) The molecular biology of glutamine synthetase in higher plants. Oxford Surveys of Plant Mol. and Cell. Biol 6:247–296

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foyer CH, Valadier M, Migge A, Becker TW (1998) Drought-induced effects on nitrate reductase activity and mRNA and on the coordination of nitrogen and carbon metabolism in maize leaves. Plant Physiol 117:283–292

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hausler RE, Blackwell RD, Lea PJ, Leegwood RC (1994) Control of photosynthesis in barley leaves with reduced activities of glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase: I. Plant characteristics and changes in nitrate, ammonium and amino acids. Planta 194:406–417

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hirel B, Bouet C, King B, Layzell B, Jacobs F, Verma DPS (1987) Glutamine synthetase genes are regulated by ammonia provided externally or by symbiotic nitrogen fixation. EMBO J 6:1167–1171

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoshida H, Tanaka Y, Hibino T, Hayashi Y, Tanaka A, Takabe T (2000) Enhanced tolerance to salt stress in transgenic rice that overexpresses chloroplast glutamine synthetase. Plant Mol Biol 43:103–111

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ishiyama K, Inoue E, Tabuchi M, Yamaya T, Takahashi H (2004a) Biochemical background and compartmentalized functions of cytosolic glutamine synthetase for active ammonium assimilation in rice roots. Plant Cell Physiol 45:1640–1647

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ishiyama K, Inoue E, Takahashi AW, Obara M, Yamaya T, Takahashi H (2004b) Kinetic properties and ammonium-dependent regulation of cytosolic isoenzymes of glutamine synthetase in Arabidopsis. J Biol Chem 279:16598–16605

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kamachi K, Yamaya T, Mae T, Ojima K (1991) A role for glutamine synthetase in the remobilization of leaf nitrogen during natural senescence in rice leaves. Plant Physiol 96:411–417

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kusano M, Tabuchi M, Fukushima A, Funayama K, Diaz C, Kobayashi M, Hayashi N, Tsuchiya YN, Takahashi H, Kamata A, Yamaya T, Saito T (2011) Metabolomics data reveal a crucial role of cytosolic glutamine synthetase 1;1 in coordinating metabolic balance in rice. Plant J 66:456–466

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laemmli UK (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227:680–685

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lima L, Seabra A, Melo P, Cullimore J, Carvalho H (2006) Post-translational regulation of cytosolic glutamine synthetase of Medicago truncatula. J Exp Bot 57:2751–2761

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miflin BJ, Habash DZ (2002) The role of glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase in nitrogen assimilation and possibilities for improvement in the nitrogen utilization of crops. J Exp Bot 53:979–987

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira IC, Coruzzi GM (1999) Carbon and amino acids reciprocally modulate the expression of glutamine synthetase in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 121:301–309

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira S, Pissarra J, Sunkel C, Salema R (1996) Tissue-specific distribution of glutamine synthetase in potato tubers. Ann Bot 77:429–432

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pinheiro C, Chaves MM, Recardo CP (2001) Alterations in carbon and nitrogen metabolism induced by water deficit in the stem and leaves of Lupinus albus L. J Exp Bot 52:1063–1070

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sonoda Y, Ikeda A, Saiki S, Wiren N, Yamaya T, Yamaguchi J (2003) Distinct expression and function of three ammonium transporter genes (OsAMT1;1–1;3) in rice. Plant and Cell Physiol 44:726–734

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tabuchi M, Abiko T, Yamaya T (2007) Assimilation of ammonium ions and reutilization of nitrogen in rice (Oryza sativa L.). J Exp Bot 58:2319–2327

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wallsgrove RM, Turner JC, Hall NP, Kendall AC, Bright SWJ (1987) Barley mutants lacking chloroplast glutamine synthetase - biochemical and genetic analysis. Plant Physiol 83:155–158

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Washitani I, Sato S (1977) Studies on the function of proplastids in the metabolism of in vitro cultured tobacco cell II Glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase pathway. Plant Cell Physiol 18:505–512

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu ZZ, Zhou GS (2006) Combined effects of water stress and high temperature on photosynthesis nitrogen metabolism and lipid peroxidation of a perennial grass Leymus chinensis. Planta 224:1080–1090

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Financial support for SG from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Govt. of India (38(1160)/07/EMR-II) is gratefully acknowledged. KKS acknowledges CSIR for financial support as JRF and SRF.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, University of North Bengal, Raja Rammohunpur, Siliguri, West Bengal, 734013, India

    Kamal Krishna Singh & Shilpi Ghosh

Authors
  1. Kamal Krishna Singh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shilpi Ghosh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shilpi Ghosh.

Additional information

Communicated by P. Lakshmanan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Singh, K.K., Ghosh, S. Regulation of glutamine synthetase isoforms in two differentially drought-tolerant rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars under water deficit conditions. Plant Cell Rep 32, 183–193 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-012-1353-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-012-1353-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation