Ma. Botella et al., NITRATE REDUCTASE-ACTIVITY IN WHEAT SEEDLINGS AS AFFECTED BY NO(3-) NH(4+) RATIO AND SALINITY/, Journal of plant physiology, 142(5), 1993, pp. 531-536
Nitrate reductase is considered to be a limiting factor for growth, de
velopment and protein production in plants. This enzyme is influenced
by external conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate t
he effect of different NO3-/NH4+ ratios and salinity on NRA (nitrate r
eductase activity) in shoots and roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.
cv. Betres) seedlings. Plants were grown in a growth chamber under con
trolled conditions. Nutrient solution contained 4 mM N, applied as NO3
- and NH4+ in different ratios, and saline treatments consisted in tow
levels of NaCl:1 mM and 60 mM. Wheat seedlings had most of their NRA
in shoots. When NH4+ was present in the nutrient solution NRA was almo
st completely inhibited in roots and decreased in shoots. Inhibition o
f NRA by NH4+ seems to be a direct effect on synthesis and activity of
NR rather than through inhibition of NO3- uptake and thus by lack of
substrate. Salinity significantly decreased NRA in shoots, this effect
being influenced by NO3- in the and by NO3-/Cl- ratio in shoots. The
effect on RNA may be due to the alteration of NO3- uptake, to an exces
sive Cl- shoot content which may affect NO3- transport from vacuoles t
o cytoplasm and to the alteration of NO3- flux from root to shoot.