Abstract
Ammonium at low concentrations caused a rapid and effective inhibition of nitrate utilization in the light by the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans without affecting the cellular level of nitrate reductase activity. The inhibition was reversible, and the ability of the cells to utilize nitrate was restored immediately after ammonium had been exhausted. The inhibitory effect was dependent on consumption by the cells of the added ammonium which was rapidly incorporated into amino acids. In the presence of L-methionine-d,l-sulfoximine (MSX) or azaserine, inhibitors of the glutamine synthetase-glutamate synthase pathway, ammonium did not exhibit any inhibitory effect on nitrate utilization. Ammonium assimilation, rather than ammonium itself, seems to regulate nitrate utilization in A. nidulans. Short-term inhibition by ammonium of nitrate utilization and its prevention by MSX were also demonstrated in the filamentous cyanobacteria Anabaena and Nostoc.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- MSX:
-
L-Methionine-d-l-sulfoximine
References
Arnon, D. I., McSwain, B. D., Tsujimoto, H. Y., Keishiro, W.: Photochemical activity and components of membrane preparations from blue-green algae. I. Coexistence of two photosystems in relation to chlorophyll a and removal of phycocyanin. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 357, 231–245 (1974)
Bailey, J. L.: Techniques in protein chemistry, 2nd ed., p. 340. Amsterdam: Elsevier 1967
Bergmeyer, H. U.: Methoden der enzymatischen Analyse, 2nd ed. Weinheim: Verlag Chemic 1974
Cawse, P. A.: The determination of nitrate in soil solutions by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Analyst 92, 311–315 (1967)
Cramer, M., Myers, J.: Nitrate reduction and assimilation in Chlorella. J. Gen. Physiol. 32, 93–102 (1949)
Cresswell, R. C., Syrett, P. J.: Ammonium inhibition of nitrate uptake by the diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Plant. Sci. Lett. 14, 321–325 (1979)
Flores, E., Guerrero, M. G.: Properties of nitrate utilization in Anacystis nidulans attributable to a nitrate transport system. Proceedings of the 2nd FESPP Congress, Santiago de Compostela (1980)
Flores, E., Guerrero, M. G., Losada, M.: Efecto del amoniaco sobre la utilización del nitrato por Anacystis nidulans. Proceedings of the XVII Reunión SEB, p. 108, Madrid (1978)
Guerrero, M. G., Manzano, C., Losada, M.: Nitrite photoreduction by a cell-free preparation of Anacystis nidulans. Plant. Sci. Lett. 3, 273–278 (1974)
Herrero, T., Flores, E., Guerrero, M. G.: Regulation of nitrate reductase activity level in Anacystis nidulans. Proceedings of the 2nd FESPP Congress, Santiago de Compostela (1980)
Jones, B. L., Monty, K. J.: Glutamine as a feedback inhibitor of the Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides nitrogenase system. J. Bacteriol. 139, 1007–1013 (1979)
Laane, C., Krone, W., Konings, W., Haaker, H., Veeger, C.: Shortterm effect of ammonium chloride on nitrogen fixation by Azotobacter vinelandii and by bacteroids of Rhizobium leguminosarum. Eur. J. Biochem. 103, 39–46 (1980)
Lea, P. J., Miflin, B. J.: Photosynthetic ammonia assimilation. In: Encyclopedia of plant physiology New Series, Vol. 6 (Gibbs, M., Latzko, E., eds.), pp. 445–456. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1979
Losada, M., Guerrero, M. G.: The photosynthetic reduction of nitrate and its regulation. In: Photosynthesis in relation to model systems (Barber, J., ed.), pp. 365–408. Amsterdam: Elsevier 1979
Mackinney, G.: Absorption of light by chlorophyll solutions. J. Biol. Chem. 140, 315–322 (1941)
Manzano, C., Candau, P., Gómez-Moreno, C., Relimpio, A. M., Losada, M.: Ferredoxin dependent photosynthetic reduction of nitrate and nitrite by particles of Anacystis nidulans. Mol. Cell. Biochem. 10, 161–169 (1976)
Meeks, J. C., Wolk, C. P., Thomas, J., Lockau, W., Shaffer, P. W., Austin, S. M., Chien, W.-S., Galonsky, A.: The pathways of assimilation of 13NH +4 by the cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica. J. Biol. Chem. 252, 7894–7900 (1977)
Meeks, J. C., Wolk, C. P., Lockau, W., Schilling, N., Shaffer, P. W., Chien, W.-S.: Pathways of assimilation of (13N)N2 and 13NH +4 by cyanobacteria with and without heterocysts. J. Bacteriol. 134, 125–130 (1978)
Ohmori, M., Hattori, A.: Transient change in the ATP pool of anabaena cylindrica associated with ammonia assimilation. Arch. Microbiol. 117, 17–20 (1978)
Ohmori, M., Ohmori, K., Strotmann, H.: Inhibition of nitrate uptake by ammonia in a blue-green alga, Anabaena cylindrica. Arch. Microbiol. 114, 225–229 (1977)
Pistorius, E. K., Funkhouser, E. A., Voss, H.: Effect of ammonium and ferricyanide on nitrate utilization by Chlorella vulgaris. Planta 141, 279–282 (1978)
Prusiner, S., Stadtman, E. R.: The enzymes of glutamine metabolism. New York, London: Academic Press 1973
Ramos, J. L., Flores, E., Guerrero, M. G.: Glutamine synthetase-glutamate synthase: the pathway of ammonium assimilation in Anacystis nidulans. Proceedings of the 2nd FESPP Congress, Santiago de Compostela (1980)
Rippka, R., Deruelles, J., Waterbury, J. B., Herdman, M., Stanier, R. Y.: Generic assignments, strain histories and properties of pure cultures of cyanobacteria. J. Gen. Microbiol. 111, 1–61 (1979)
Rowell, P., Enticott, S., Stewart, W. D. P.: Glutamine synthetase and nitrogenase activity in the blue-green alga Anabaena cylindrica. New Phytol. 79, 41–54 (1977)
Snell, F. D., Snell, C. T.: Colorimetric methods of analysis, Vol. 3, pp. 804–805. New York: Van Nostrand 1949
Syrett, P. J., Leftley, J. W.: Nitrate and urea assimilation by algae. In: Perspectives in experimental biology, Vol. 2 (Sunderland, N., ed.), pp. 221–234. Oxford, New York: Pergamon Press 1976
Syrett, P. J., Morris, I.: The inhibition of nitrate assimilation by ammonium in Chlorella. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 67, 566–575 (1963)
Thacker, A., Syrett, P. J.: The assimilation of nitrate and ammonium by Chlamydomonas reinhardii. New Phytol. 71, 423–433 (1972)
Tischner, R., Lorenzen, H.: Nitrate uptake and nitrate reduction in synchronous Chlorella. Planta 146, 287–292 (1979)
Vennesland, B., Guerrero, M. G.: Reduction of nitrate and nitrite. In: Encyclopedia of plant physiology, New Series, Vol. 6 (Gibbs, M., Latzko, E., eds.), pp. 425–444. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer 1979
Zumft, W. G., Castillo, F.: Regulatory properties of the nitrogenase from Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Arch. Microbiol. 117, 53–60 (1978)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Flores, E., Guerrero, M.G. & Losada, M. Short-term ammonium inhibition of nitrate utilization by Anacystis nidulans and other cyanobacteria. Arch. Microbiol. 128, 137–144 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406150
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406150