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Nitrate reductase induction and molecular characterization in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

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Summary

Barley nitrate reductase cDNA clone bNRp10 was used as a hybridization probe to screen a genomic DNA library of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar M201. Two different lambda clones were isolated, subcloned to plasmids, and partially characterized. The subclone pHBH1 was tentatively identified as encoding a NADH nitrate reductase. Southern and dot blot analysis suggest that, in rice, nitrate reductase is encoded by a small gene family. Regulation of NADH nitrate reductase was investigated in rice cultivars Labelle and M201 representing the subspecies indica and japonica, respectively. In the absence of nitrate, only trace levels of nitrate reductase activity and mRNA were detected in seedling leaves. Upon addition of nitrate to seedling roots, nitrate reductase activity and mRNA increased rapidly in leaves. Nitrate reductase activity continued to increase over a 24 h period, but the mRNA accumulation peaked at about 6 h and then declined. Western blot analysis with a barley NADH nitrate reductase antiserum showed the presence of two bands of approximately 115 and 105 kDa. These protein bands were not detected in extracts of tissue grown in the absence of nitrate.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit Biotechnology, MARDI, P.O. Box 12301, GPO, 50774, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Halim B. Hamat

  2. Department of Agronomy and Soils, Washington State University, 99164-6420, Pullman, WA, USA

    Andris Kleinhofs

  3. Program in Genetics and Cell Biology, Washington State University, 99164-6420, Pullman, WA, USA

    Andris Kleinhofs

  4. Department of Agronomy and Soils, Washington State University, 99164-6420, Pullman, WA, USA

    Robert L. Warner

Authors
  1. Halim B. Hamat
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  2. Andris Kleinhofs
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  3. Robert L. Warner
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Communicated by H. Böhme

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Hamat, H.B., Kleinhofs, A. & Warner, R.L. Nitrate reductase induction and molecular characterization in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Mol Gen Genet 218, 93–98 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00330570

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00330570

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