Summary
Nitrite reductase (NiR) isolated from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) roots was stabilized in a buffer solution containing a sulfhydryl-reducing reagent and glycerol. The enzyme was purified 340fold by ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50, Sephadex G-200 and DEAE-cellulose. Purified NiR had a specific activity of 28 μmol NO2 - reduced min-1 mg-1 of protein. The purified preparation was reddishbrown having absorption maxima at 282, 388 and 577 nm. The barley-root enzyme was almost identical with spinach-leaf NiR with respect to molecular weight, isoelectric point, pH stability, pH optimum, affinity for substrate, behavior toward inhibitors. It is concluded that NiR is the same enzymatic entity regardless of its localization in photosynthetic or nonchlorophyllous tissues. The electron-transport system for NiR in root tissue is discussed in comparison with that in leaf tissue.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- DEAE:
-
diethylaminoethyl
- ME:
-
2-mercaptoethanol
- NiR:
-
nitrite reductase
References
Ahmed, J., Morris, I.: The effect of 2,4-dinitrophenol and other uncoupling agents on the assimilation of nitrate and nitrite by Chlorella. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 162, 32–38 (1968)
Andrews, P.: Estimation of molecular size and molecular weight of biological compounds by gel filtration. Meth. Biochem. Anal. 18, 1–53 (1970)
Archbald, R. M.: Quantitative microdetermination of ammonia in the presence of glutamine and other labile substances. J. biol. Chem. 151, 141–148 (1943)
Asada, K., Tamura, G., Bandurski, R. S.: Methyl viologen-linked sulfite reductase from spinach leaves. J. biol. Chem. 244, 4904–4915 (1969)
Beevers, L., Hageman, R. H.: Nitrate reduction in higher plants. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 20, 495–522 (1969)
Benemann, J. R., Yoch, D. C., Valentine, R. C., Arnon, D. I.: The electron transport system in nitrogen fixation by Azotobacter. III. Requirement for NADPH-supported nitrogenase activity. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 226, 205–212 (1971)
Betts, G. F., Hewitt, E. J.: Photosynthetic nitrite reductase and the significance of hydroxylamine in nitrite reduction in plants. Nature (Lond.) 210, 1327–1329 (1966)
Bourne, W. F., Miflin, B. J.: An ATP dependent reduction of nitrate to ammonia by a cell free particulate system from barley roots. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 40, 1305–1310 (1970)
Bourne, W. F., Miflin, B. J.: Studies on nitrite reductase in barley. Planta (Berl.) 111, 47–56 (1973)
Cardenus, J., Bares, J. L., Rivas, J., Moreno, C. G.: Purification and properties of nitrite reductase from spinach leaves. FEBS Letters 23, 131–135 (1972)
Dalling, M. J., Hucklesby, D. P., Hageman, R. H.: A comparison of nitrite reductase enzymes from green leaves, scutella, and roots of corn (Zea mays L.). Plant Physiol. 51, 481–484 (1973a)
Dalling, M. J., Tolbert, N. E., Hageman, R. H.: Intracellular location of nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase. II. Wheat roots. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 285, 513–519 (1973b)
Davis, B. J.: Disc electrophoresis. II. Method and application to human serum proteins. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 121, 404–427 (1964)
Hagland, H.: Isoelectric focusing in pH gradients—a technique for fractionation and characterization of ampholytes. Meth. Biochem. Anal. 19, 1–104 (1971)
Hewitt, E. J., Hucklesby, D. P., Betts, G. F.: Nitrite and hydroxylamine in inorganic nitrogen metabolism with reference principally to higher plants. In: Recent aspects of nitrogen metabolism in plants, p. 47–81, Hewitt, E. J., Cutting, C. V., eds. London: Acad. Press 1968
Hucklesby, D. P., Hewitt, E. J.: Nitrite and hydroxylamine reduction in higher plants. Biochem. J. 119, 615–627 (1970)
Hucklesby, D. P., Dalling, M. J., Hageman, R. H.: Some properties of two forms of nitrite reductase from corn (Zea mays L.) scutellum. Planta (Berl.) 104, 220–23 (1972)
Ida, S., Morita, Y.: Purification and general properties of spinach leaf nitrite reductase. Plant & Cell Physiol. 14, 661–671 (1973a)
Ida, S., Morita, Y.: Spinach nitrite reductase: Preparation and properties. [In Jap.] Seikagaku 45, 692 (1973b)
Joy, K. W., Hageman, R. H.: The purification and properties of nitrite reductase from higher plants, and its dependence on ferredoxin. Biochem. J. 100, 263–273 (1966)
Kaplan, A.: The determination of urea, ammonia, and urease. Meth. Biochem. Anal. 17, 311–324 (1969)
Kessler, E.: Nitrate assimilation by plants. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 15, 57–72 (1964)
Losada, M., Paneque, A., Ramirez, J. M., del Campo, F. F.: Mechanism of nitrite reduction in chloroplasts. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 10, 298–303 (1963)
Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L., Randall, R. J.: Protein measurement with Folin phenol reagent. J. biol. Chem. 193, 265–275 (1951)
Miflin, B.: Distribution of nitrate and nitrite reductase in barley. Nature (Lond.) 214, 1133–1134 (1967)
Murphy, M. J., Siegel, L. M., Tove, S. R., Kamin, H.: Siroheme: A new prosthetic group participating in six-electron reduction reactions catalyzed by both sulfite and nitrite reductase. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 71, 612–616 (1974)
Sanderson, G. W., Cocking, E. C.: Enzymic assimilation of nitrate in tomato plants. II. Reduction of nitrite to ammonia. Plant Physiol. 39, 423–431 (1964)
Shimizu, J., Tamura, G.: Studies on nitrite reductase from spinach leaves. I. Further purification and some properties. J. Biochem. 75, 999–1005 (1974)
Smith, F. W., Thompson, J. F.: Regulation of nitrate reductase in excised barley roots. Plant Physiol. 48, 219–223 (1971)
Vega, J. M., Guerrero, M. G., Leadbetter, E., Losada, M.: Reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide-nitrite reductase from Azotobacter chroococcum. Biochem. J. 133, 701–708 (1973)
Yoch, D. C., Benemann, J. R., Arnon, D. I., Valentine, R. C., Russell, S. A.: An endogenous electron carrier for nitrogenase system of Rhizobium bacteroids. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 38, 838–842 (1970)
Zumft, W. G.: Nitrite oxidoreductase from Chlorella. Purification and properties. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 276, 363–375 (1972)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ida, S., Mori, E. & Morita, Y. Purification, stabilization and characterization of nitrite reductase from barley roots. Planta 121, 213–224 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389322
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389322