Authors: Władysław Polcyn Robert Luciński
Publish Date: 2009/02/04
Volume: 31, Issue: 3, Pages: 605-
Abstract
Nitrate and nitrite reduction centers in nonnodulated and symbiotic yellow lupine were analyzed In young seedlings nitrate was exclusively accumulated in roots which also was shown as the main nitrate reduction center In contrast leaves were shown to play a key role in nitrite reduction A similar distribution of nitrate reductase NR and nitrite reductase was found in nodulated plants However in field conditions characterized by low nitrate content a disproportionately high level of NR activity in nodules was also observed during all stages of symbiotic growth This feature was confirmed in nitratefed hydroponic cultures Nodule NR activity was one order of magnitude higher than in roots in spite of the small stored nitrate pool found inside nodules This suggests that nodule NR activity had been induced not by nitrate itself but indirectly Since bacteroids were shown to be responsible for the vast majority of nodule NR activity the plausible explanation of this effect seems to be a dissimilatory nature of rhizobial NR Considering that environmental nitrate could cause hypoxia inside nodules this is the proposed way of the observed nodule NR induction
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