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Nitrate acts as a signal to control gene expression, metabolism and biomass allocation

  • Chapter
Regulation of Primary Metabolic Pathways in Plants

Part of the book series: Proceedings of the Phytochemical Society of Europe ((PPSE,volume 42))

Abstract

Tobacco genotypes with decreased activity of nitrate reductase [NR] have been used to establish an in plant screen for processes that are regulated by nitrate. These genotypes resemble nitrate-limited wild-types when they are grown on low nitrate. However, the maximum daily rate of nitrate assimilation is restricted by the low activity of NR, and when the nitrate supply is increased these plants do not increase their rate of growth, their amino acid or protein content significantly. Instead, they accumulate large amounts of nitrate. This is accompanied by an increase of several transcripts (nia, nii, gln1, glu, icdh1, citrate synthase, cytosolic pyruvate kinase and ppc), by increased activity of the encoded enzymes, and by a dramatic accumulation of organic acids. The accumulation of nitrate also leads to repression of agpS2, a decrease of ADPglucose pyrophosphorylase activity, and a dramatic inhibition of starch synthesis. It is concluded that nitrate acts as a source of signals to initiate a coordinated and effective change in the expression of many genes whose products are required directly or indirectly during nitrate assimilation and use. Further, nitrate accumulation in the shoot results in a strong inhibition of root growth, that is primarily due to decreased formation of lateral roots, and is accompanied by changes in carbon allocation and use. It is concluded that nitrate in the shoot is monitored to provide information about the nitrogen status of the plant.

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  1. Botanisches Institut der Universität, Im Neuenheimer Feld 360, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Mark Stitt & Wolf-Rüdiger Scheible

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  1. Mark Stitt
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  1. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Nicholas J. Kruger , Steven A. Hill  & R. George Ratcliffe ,  & 

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Stitt, M., Scheible, WR. (1999). Nitrate acts as a signal to control gene expression, metabolism and biomass allocation. In: Kruger, N.J., Hill, S.A., Ratcliffe, R.G. (eds) Regulation of Primary Metabolic Pathways in Plants. Proceedings of the Phytochemical Society of Europe, vol 42. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4818-4_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4818-4_14

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