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Polyamines modulate nitrate reductase activity in wheat leaves: involvement of nitric oxide

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Abstract

In the present work, the effect of polyamines (PAs) on nitrate reductase (NR) activity was studied in wheat leaves exposed to exogenously added PAs while assessing the nitric oxide (NO) involvement in the regulation of the enzyme activity. A biphasic response was observed along the time of treatment using 0.1 mM of putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) or spermine (Spm). At 3 h, Spd and Spm significantly reduced NR activity by 29 or 35%, respectively, whereas at 6 h, the activity of the enzyme decreased by an average of 25%. At 21 h, Put increased NR activity by 63%, while Spd and Spm elevated the enzyme activity by 114%. NR activity, that was reduced by 0.1 mM Spm at 3 and 6 h, returned almost to control values when c-PTIO (an NO scavenger) was used, confirming that NO was involved in the inhibition of NR activity. Nitric oxide was also mediating the PA-increase of the enzyme activity at longer incubation times, evidenced when the raise in NR activity produced by 0.1 mM Spm at the longest incubation time returned to the value of the control in the presence of cPTIO. Neither the protein expression nor the nitrate content were modified by PAs treatments. The involvement of PAs and NO in the regulation of NR activity is discussed.

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Abbreviations

Put:

Putrescine

Spd:

Spermidine

Spm:

Spermine

SNP:

Sodium nitroprusside

NR:

Nitrate reductase

l-Arg:

l-Arginine

d-Arg:

d-Arginine

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the University of Buenos Aires (Project B017) and CONICET (PIP 097). M.P. Benavides and M.D. Groppa are researchers from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). E.P. Rosales and M.F. Iannone have fellowships from CONICET. We thank Dr. Steven Huber, University of Illinois, for providing the NR antibody.

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  1. Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, 1113, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Eliana Paola Rosales, María Florencia Iannone, María Daniela Groppa & María Patricia Benavides

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  1. Eliana Paola Rosales
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  2. María Florencia Iannone
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  3. María Daniela Groppa
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  4. María Patricia Benavides
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Correspondence to María Patricia Benavides.

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Rosales, E.P., Iannone, M.F., Groppa, M.D. et al. Polyamines modulate nitrate reductase activity in wheat leaves: involvement of nitric oxide. Amino Acids 42, 857–865 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-1001-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-1001-4

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