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Ferritin (mRNA, protein) and iron concentrations during soybean nodule development

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Abstract

To study how iron-rich nodules concentrate and store iron, ferritin (mRNA, protein) was analyzed in developing soybean nodules and compared to nitrogenase (mRNA/activity) and leghemoglobin (mRNA, protein, heme). Both ferritin mRNA and protein concentrations increased early in nodulation. Later in nodulation ferritin protein declined, in contrast to the mRNA, as nitrogenase (mRNA and activity) increased and leghemoglobin (mRNA and protein) accumulated. A precursor/product relationship between iron stored in ferritin and iron in nitrogenase or leghemoglobin is suggested. The uncoordinated changes in ferritin mRNA and protein during nodulation contrast with nitrogenase mRNA and nitrogenase activity suggesting possible translational and posttranscriptional effects on ferritin expression.

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Author notes

  1. Maria Ragland

    Present address: Monsanto Corporate Research, 700 Chesterfield Parkway, 63198, St. Louis, MO, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, NCSU Box 7622, 27695, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Maria Ragland & Elizabeth C. Theil

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  1. Maria Ragland
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  2. Elizabeth C. Theil
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Ragland, M., Theil, E.C. Ferritin (mRNA, protein) and iron concentrations during soybean nodule development. Plant Mol Biol 21, 555–560 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028813

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028813

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