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Dark induction of nitrate reductase in the halophilic alga Dunaliella salina

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Abstract

The effect of nitrogen starvation on the NO3-dependent induction of nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrite reductases (NIR) has been investigated in the halophilic alga Dunaliella salina. When D. salina cells previously grown in a medium with NH +4 as the only nitrogen source (NH +4 -cells) were transferred into NO −3 medium, NR was induced in the light. In contrast, when cells previously grown in N-free medium were transferred into a medium containing NO −3 , NR was induced in light or in darkness. Nitrate-dependent NR induction, in darkness, in D. salina cells previously grown at a photon flux density of 500 umol · m−2 s−1 was observed after 4 h preculture in N-free medium, whilst in cells grown at 100 umol · m−2 s−1 NR induction was observed after 7–8 h. An inhibitor of mRNA synthesis (6-methylpurine) did not inhibit NO −3 -induced NR synthesis when the cells, previously grown in NH +4 medium, were transferred into NO −3 medium (at time 0 h) after 4-h-N starvation. However, when 6-methylpurine was added simultaneously with the transfer of the cells from NH +4 to NO −3 medium (at time 0 h), NO −3 induced NR synthesis was completely inhibited. The activity of NIR decreased in N-starved cells and the addition of NO −3 to those cells greatly stimulated NIR activity in the light. The ability to induce NR in darkness was observed when glutamine synthetase activity reached its maximal level during N starvation. Although cells grown in NO −3 medium exhibited high NR activity, only 0.33% of the total NR was found in intact chloroplasts. We suggest that the ability, to induce NR in darkness is dependent on the level of N starvation, and that NR in D. salina is located in the cytosol. Light seems to play an indirect regulatory role on NO −3 uptake and NR induction due to the expression of NR and NO −3 -transporter mRNAs.

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Abbreviations

GS:

glutamine synthetase

NR:

nitrate reductase

NIR:

nitrite reductase

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Applied Algology, University of Las Palmas G.C., Box 550, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain

    M. Jiménez del Río & G. García-Reina

  2. Department of Botany, Louisiana State University, 70803, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    Z. Ramazanov

Authors
  1. M. Jiménez del Río
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  2. Z. Ramazanov
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  3. G. García-Reina
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Additional information

We thank Prof. J. Moroney and Dr. M. Burow (Department of Botany, Louisiana State University, Lu, USA) for critically reading the manuscript. This work was partially supported by CICYT (MAR-91-1237) and a grant of the University of Las Palmas G.C. to M. Jiménez del Río.

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del Río, M.J., Ramazanov, Z. & García-Reina, G. Dark induction of nitrate reductase in the halophilic alga Dunaliella salina . Planta 192, 40–45 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00198690

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