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PubMed1970

Light-induced Development of Polyribosomes and the Induction of Nitrate Reductase in Corn Leaves.

Nitrate reductase activity was induced by nitrate in green corn (Zea mays) leaves in either light or darkness. The induction process required oxygen in darkness but not in light. A light treatment was required before the enzyme could be induced in etiolated leaves.The capacity for nitrate reductase induction by nitrate was positively correlated with the level of cytoplasmic polyribosomes under a variety of experimental conditions. (a) Light-grown leaves contained high levels of polyribosomes (84% of the total population, most of which were of the 80 S type); similarly high levels of nitrate reductase activity were induced. (b) The level of polyribosomes and the ability to form nitrate reductase activity rapidly decreased in light-grown leaves following transfer to an anaerobic environment in the dark; both parameters were maintained at a high level when light-grown leaves were kept in the light under anaerobic conditions. (c) The ability of light-grown leaves, previously placed in darkness under nitrogen to dissociate polyribosomes to monoribosomes, to form nitrate reductase activity again correlated with the level of reformed polyribosomes following transfer of the leaves back to light. (d) Etiolated leaves contained a low level of cytoplasmic polyribosomes (27%), and nitrate reductase activity was induced following exposure to light only after a lag of 2 to 4 hours. During this lag period there was a marked increase in the level of polyribosomes.The ability of leaves to form nitrate reductase activity and the level of polyribosomes also correlated with the level of in vitro incorporation of amino acids into protein by the isolated ribosome preparations. Thus, the apparent requirement of light for nitrate reductase induction in etiolated leaves seems not to be specific. Rather an influence of light upon the development of an active protein-synthesizing apparatus as evidenced by the state of polyribosomes is indicated.The results also show that energy from photosynthetic phosphorylation can be used to maintain cytoplasmic polyribosomes (and thus to drive cytoplasmic protein synthesis), at least under anaerobic conditions.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Synthesis and bacterial expression of a gene encoding the heme domain of assimilatory nitrate reductase.

Assimilatory NADH:nitrate reductase (EC 1.6.6.1), a complex Mo-pterin-, cytochrome b(557)-, and FAD-containing protein, catalyzes the regulated and rate-limiting step in the utilization of inorganic nitrogen by higher plants. A codon-optimized gene has been synthesized for expression of the central cytochrome b(557)-containing fragment, corresponding to residues A542-E658, of spinach assimilatory nitrate reductase. While expression of the full-length synthetic gene in Escherichia coli did not result in significant heme domain production, expression of a Y647* truncated form resulted in substantial heme domain production as evidenced by the generation of "pink" cells. The histidine-tagged heme domain was purified to homogeneity using a combination of NTA-agarose and size-exclusion FPLC, resulting in a single protein band following SDS-PAGE analysis with a molecular mass of approximately 13 kDa. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry yielded an m/z ratio of 12,435 and confirmed the presence of the heme prosthetic group (m/z=622) while cofactor analysis indicated a 1:1 heme to protein stoichiometry. The oxidized heme domain exhibited spectroscopic properties typical of a b-type cytochrome with a visible Soret maximum at 413 nm together with epr g-values of 2.98, 2.26, and 1.49, consistent with low-spin bis-histidyl coordination. Oxidation-reduction titrations of the heme domain indicated a standard midpoint potential (E(o)') of -118 mV. The isolated heme domain formed a 1:1 complex with cytochrome c with a K(A) of 7 microM (micro=0.007) and reconstituted NADH:cytochrome c reductase activity in the presence of a recombinant form of the spinach nitrate reductase flavin domain, yielding a k(cat) of 1.4 s(-1) and a K(m app) for cytochrome c of 9 microM. These results indicate the efficient expression of a recombinant form of the heme domain of spinach nitrate reductase that retained the spectroscopic and thermodynamic properties characteristic of the corresponding domain in the native spinach enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Functional domains of assimilatory NADH:nitrate reductase from Chlorella.

Assimilatory nitrate reductase from Chlorella is a homotetramer which contains one of each of the prosthetic groups FAD, heme, and molybdenum per subunit. Besides the reduction of nitrate by NADH, nitrate reductase also catalyzes the partial activities NADH:cytochrome c reductase, NADH:ferricyanide reductase, and reduced methyl viologen:nitrate reductase. Incubation of native nitrate reductase with either trypsin, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, or a natural inactivator protease from corn results in a loss of NADH:nitrate reductase and NADH:cytochrome c reductase activities but no loss of reduced methyl viologen:nitrate reductase activity. Incubation of nitrate reductase with V8 protease or corn inactivator protease resulted in two different products, each of which retained a different partial activity. Reduced methyl viologen:nitrate reductase activity was associated with a homotetrameric fragment of about 260 kDa which contained heme and molybdenum but no FAD. The molecular mass of native nitrate reductase determined under the same conditions was 375 kDa. NADH:ferricyanide reductase activity was associated with a monomeric species of approximately 30 kDa which contained FAD and the NADH-binding site. These results are consistent with a structure-function model of nitrate reductase which has the following features: FAD/NADH-binding domains exposed on the surface of the molecule, a protease-sensitive hinge region which connects the nitrate-reducing and NADH dehydrogenase moieties, and the quaternary structure maintained via association sites on the heme/molybdenum domain.

Affinity Labels↗
PubMed1992

Expression in Escherichia coli of Cytochrome c Reductase Activity from a Maize NADH:Nitrate Reductase Complementary DNA.

A cDNA clone was isolated from a maize (Zea mays L. cv W64AxW183E) scutellum lambdagt11 library using maize leaf NADH:nitrate reductase Zmnr1 cDNA clone as a hybridization probe; it was designated Zmnr1S. Zmnr1S was shown to be an NADH:nitrate reductase clone by nucleotide sequencing and comparison of its deduced amino acid sequence to Zmnr1. Zmnr1S, which is 1.8 kilobases in length and contains the code for both the cytochrome b and flavin adenine dinucleotide domains of nitrate reductase, was cloned into the EcoRI site of the Escherichia coli expression vector pET5b and expressed. The cell lysate contained NADH:cytochrome c reductase activity, which is a characteristic partial activity of NADH:nitrate reductase dependent on the cytochrome b and flavin adenine dinucleotide domains. Recombinant cytochrome c reductase was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography on monoclonal antibody Zm2(69) Sepharose. The purified cytochrome c reductase, which had a major size of 43 kilodaltons, was inhibited by polyclonal antibodies for maize leaf NADH:nitrate reductase and bound these antibodies when blotted to nitrocellulose. Ultraviolet and visible spectra of oxidized and NADH-reduced recombinant cytochrome c reductase were nearly identical with those of maize leaf NADH:nitrate reductase. These two enzyme forms also had very similar kinetic properties with respect to NADH-dependent cytochrome c and ferricyanide reduction.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Superoxide production during reduction of molecular oxygen by assimilatory nitrate reductase.

Assimilatory NADH:nitrate reductase catalyzes the transfer of reducing equivalents from NADH to molecular oxygen. Initial rate studies performed under conditions of optimal pH (8.0) and constant ionic strength (mu = 0.2) revealed that the maximal rate of activity with molecular oxygen was 0.5% (0.44 mumol NADH consumed/min/nmol heme) with a Km for O2 of 586 microM. NADH:molecular oxygen reductase activity exhibited a pH optimum of 9.2, was inhibited by cyanide, and was unaffected by changes in ionic strength or the presence of phosphate ions. Spectroscopic studies indicated NADH:molecular oxygen reductase activity resulted in the production of the superoxide radical, detected as the formation of adrenochrome from epinephrine and by the formation of adrenochrome from epinephrine and by the reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium, both of which could be inhibited by the addition of superoxide dismutase and were unaffected by the addition of catalase. Direct observation of superoxide production using spin-trapping in combination with EPR spectroscopy resulted in the detection of the spin adduct 5.5-dimethyl-5-hydroxy-1-pyrrolidinyloxy (DMPO-OH). The formation of this spin adduct was abolished either in the absence of nitrate reductase, NADH, or DMPO or the the addition of superoxide dismutase or nitrate and was greatly reduced by the presence of cyanide. Inclusion of catalase or ethanol had no effect on the formation of the spin adduct. These results indicate that nitrate reductase can utilize molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor and that the product, O2.(-), is primarily generated via the Mopterin center.

Chlorella↗
PubMed1994

Nitrate reductases in Escherichia coli.

Escherichia coli expresses two different membrane-bound respiratory nitrate reductases, nitrate reductase A (NRA) and nitrate reductase Z (NRZ). In this review, we compare the genetic control, biochemical properties and regulation of these two closely related enzyme systems. The two enzymes are encoded by distinct operons located within two different loci on the E. coli chromosome. The narGHJI operon, encoding nitrate reductaseA, is located in the chlC locus at 27 minutes, along with several functionally related genes: narK, encoding a nitrate/nitrite antiporter, and the narXL operon, encoding a nitrate-activated, two component regulatory system. The narZYWV operon, encoding nitrate reductase Z, is located in the chlZ locus located at 32.5 minutes, a region which includes a narK homologue, narU, but no apparent homologue to the narXL operon. The two membrane-bound enzymes have similar structures and biochemical properties and are capable of reducing nitrate using normal physiological substrates. The homology of the amino acid sequences of the peptides encoded by the two operons is extremely high but the intergenic regions share no related sequences. The expression of both the narGHJI operon and the narK gene are positively regulated by two transacting factors Fnr and NarL-Phosphate, activated respectively by anaerobiosis and nitrate, while the narZYWV operon and the narU gene are constitutively expressed. Nitrate reductase A, which accounts for 98% of the nitrate reductase activity when fully induced, is clearly the major respiratory nitrate reductase in E. coli while the physiological role of the constitutively expressed nitrate reductase Z remains to be defined.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed2004

Voltammetric studies of the catalytic mechanism of the respiratory nitrate reductase from Escherichia coli: how nitrate reduction and inhibition depend on the oxidation state of the active site.

The respiratory molybdoenzyme nitrate reductase (NarGHI) from Escherichia coli has been studied by protein film voltammetry, with the enzyme adsorbed on a rotating disk pyrolytic graphite edge (PGE) electrode. Catalytic voltammograms for nitrate reduction show a complex wave consisting of two components that vary with pH, nitrate concentration, and the presence of inhibitors. At micromolar levels of nitrate, the activity reaches a maximum value at approximately -25 mV and then decreases as the potential becomes more negative. As the nitrate concentration is raised, the activity at more negative potentials increases and eventually becomes the dominant feature at millimolar concentrations. This leads to the hypothesis that nitrate binds more tightly to Mo(V) than Mo(IV), so that low levels of nitrate are more effectively reduced at a higher potential despite the lower driving force. However, an alternative interpretation, that nitrate binding is affected by a change in the redox state of the pterin, cannot be ruled out. This proposal, implicating a specific redox transition at the active site, is supported by experiments carried out using the inhibitors azide and thiocyanate. Azide is the stronger inhibitor of the two, and each inhibitor shows two inhibition constants, one at high potential and one at low potential, both of which are fully competitive with nitrate; closer analysis reveals that the inhibitors act preferentially upon the catalytic activity at high potential. The unusual potential dependence therefore derives from the weaker binding of nitrate or the inhibitors to a more reduced state of the active site. The possible manifestation of these characteristics in vivo has interesting implications for the bioenergetics of E. coli.

Azides↗
PubMed1981

Kinetic mechanism of assimilatory NADH:nitrate reductase from Chlorella.

Chlorella nitrate reductase catalyzes the reduction of nitrate to nitrite by NADH. Initial velocity studies showed that the kinetic mechanism is sequential, indicating that both substrates must bind to the enzyme before any products are released. Product inhibition with NAD and nitrite showed that competitive inhibition was observed when the inhibitor was similar to the varied substrate, while noncompetitive inhibition was observed when the inhibitor was dissimilar to the varied substrate. Likewise, dead-end inhibition with adenosine 5'-diphosphoribose and thiocyanate showed competitive inhibition when the inhibitor was similar to the varied substrate and noncompetitive inhibition when the inhibitor was dissimilar to the varied substrate. These results indicate that Chlorella nitrate reductase follows a random bi bi kinetic mechanism. Phosphate was found to stimulate NADH:nitrate reductase activity and 2-fold. The NADH:cytochrome c reductase activity associated with nitrate reductase was not affected by phosphate suggesting the effect of phosphate is on the nitrate-reducing moiety of the enzyme. Phosphate increases Vmax but has no effect on the apparent Km for nitrate.

Anions↗
PubMed1979

Effects of red, far red, and blue light on enhancement of nitrate reductase activity and on nitrate uptake in etiolated rice seedlings.

The effects of red (R), far red (FR), or blue light (B) on the enhancement of nitrate reductase (NR) activity and on nitrate uptake in etiolated rice seedlings were examined. On 5-minute illumination followed by 12-hour dark, R caused marked increase of NR activity, but FR and B caused only slight increase. Illumination with 560 ergs per square centimeter per second of R for 5 minutes caused maximal increase. The effect of R was almost completely counteracted by subsequent illumination with 2,000 ergs per square centimeter per second of FR for 10 minutes, indicating that NR induction was mediated by phytochrome. Exogenous supply of inducer nitrate was not required during the 5-minute illumination and the R-FR cycles, if the seedlings were transferred to nitrate solution at the beginning of the dark incubation. NR activity in the shoots was found high when shoots were illuminated but was low when only roots were illuminated. On continuous illumination for 12 hours, B had more effect on NR increase than R.Nitrate uptake during 6-hour dark was not increased by exposure to R, FR, or B for 5 minutes at the beginning. On continuous illumination for 6 hours, R slightly increased nitrate uptake, whereas FR and B had no effect.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1976

Effect of light and glucose on the induction of nitrate reductase and on the distribution of nitrate in etiolated barley leaves.

Barley seedlings grown in the dark with 10 mm KNO(3) have low levels of nitrate reductase activity even though large amounts of No(3) (-) accumulate in the leaves. When the leaves are excised and transferred to the light, there is an increase in nitrate reductase activity both in the presence and absence of exogenous NO(3) (-). When the leaves are transferred to a glucose solution (0.05 m) but kept in the dark, induction of nitrate reductase activity occurs only when fresh NO(3) (-) is added to the system.In dark-grown leaves, there are small traces of NO(3) (-) in a "metabolic pool." Addition of glucose does not alter this distribution. Light, on the other hand, results in an appreciable accumulation of NO(3) (-) in the metabolic pool. There is a linear correlation between nitrate reductase activity and the size of the metabolic NO(3) (-) pool. Our results thus suggest that NO(3) (-) accumulates in a storage pool when seedlings are grown in continuous darkness. The transfer of this NO(3) (-) to an active metabolic pool is mediated by light but not by glucose. We believe that this transfer of NO(3) (-) leads to the induction of nitrate reductase. When NO(3) (-) is included in the medium, both light and glucose increase its incorporation into the metabolic pool. The results suggest two mechanisms for regulating the metabolic NO(3) (-) pool: (a) a transfer from the storage pool which requires light; and (b) a transfer from the external medium which requires either glucose or light.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

High-level expression in Escherichia coli of the catalytically active flavin domain of corn leaf NADH:nitrate reductase and its comparison to human NADH:cytochrome B5 reductase.

Higher plant nitrate reductase can be divided into three functional domains representing its prosthetic groups: 1) flavin; 2) cytochrome b; and 3) Mo-pterin. The flavin domain has been synthesized by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli using a fragment of a corn leaf NADH:nitrate reductase cDNA clone, Zmnr1, which we had previously isolated and sequenced. A Xho2-BamH1 fragment was cut from Zmnr1, containing the sequence for the flavin domain, and ligated in the BamH1 site of expression vector pET3c. When this construct was expressed in E. coli, a 30 kD polypeptide was found to be newly synthesized. The flavin domain was purified to homogeneity using blue Sepharose and shown to have a molecular weight of 30 kD. The recombinant flavin domain has a ferricyanide reductase specific activity of 1000 mumols NADH oxidized/min/mg protein and a visible spectrum virtually identical to that of human NADH:cytochrome b5 reductase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Identification of an assimilatory nitrate reductase in mutants of Paracoccus denitrificans GB17 deficient in nitrate respiration

A Paracoccus denitrificans strain (M6Omega) unable to use nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor was constructed by insertional inactivation of the periplasmic and membrane-bound nitrate reductases. The mutant strain was able to grow aerobically with nitrate as the sole nitrogen source. It also grew anaerobically with nitrate as sole nitrogen source when nitrous oxide was provided as a respiratory electron acceptor. These growth characteristics are attributed to the presence of a third, assimilatory nitrate reductase. Nitrate reductase activity was detectable in intact cells and soluble fractions using nonphysiological electron donors. The enzyme activity was not detectable when ammonium was included in the growth medium. The results provide an unequivocal demonstration that P. denitrificans can express an assimilatory nitrate reductase in addition to the well-characterised periplasmic and membrane-bound nitrate reductases.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with nitrate reductase assay.

The nitrate reductase assay (NRA) was evaluated for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using 80 clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis and H37Rv as a control strain. All isolates were tested by the proportion method and the NRA for isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RIF), streptomycin (STR) and ethambutol (ETM). The proportion method was carried out according to NCCLS on Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium and the NRA on LJ medium containing 1000 microg/ml potassium nitrate (KNO(3)). After incubation for 7, 10, 14 and 21 days, Griess reagent was added to each LJ medium and nitrate reduction was determined by a colour change. Comparing the NRA with the proportion method, sensitivities were 100, 100, 82.1 and 92.2% for INH, RIF, STR and ETM, respectively. Specificities were 100, 100, 92.3 and 100% for INH, RIF, STR and ETM, respectively. The results of 2, 22 and 56 isolates were obtained after 7, 10 and 14 days, respectively. The proportion method result were read at 21-28 days. The NRA is rapid, inexpensive and easy to perform. Our results indicated that the NRA is suitable for the early determination of INH and RIF resistance in countries where sophisticated procedures are not always available.

Antitubercular Agents↗
PubMed1996

Nitrate reductase activity and heterocyst suppression on nitrate in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 require moeA.

Mutants of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 that form heterocysts when grown on nitrate-containing media were isolated following nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis. Six independent mutants were isolated, and the characterization of one mutant, strain AMC260, which forms 6 to 8% heterocysts in the presence of nitrate, is presented. A 1.8-kb chromosomal fragment that complemented the AMC260 mutant was sequenced, and a 1.2-kb open reading frame, named moeA, was identified. The deduced amino acid sequence of the predicted Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 MoeA polypeptide shows 37% identity to MoeA from Escherichia coli, which is required for the synthesis of molybdopterin cofactor. Molybdopterin is required by various molybdoenzymes, such as nitrate reductase. Interruption of the moeA gene in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 resulted in a strain, AMC364, that showed a phenotype similar to that of AMC260. We show that AMC260 and AMC364 lack methyl viologen-supported nitrate reductase activity. We conclude that the inability of the moeA mutants to metabolize nitrate results in heterocyst formation on nitrate-containing media. Northern (RNA) analysis detected a 1.5-kb moeA transcript in wild-type cells grown in the presence or absence of a combined nitrogen source.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1992

Nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase transcript levels in various mutants of Aspergillus nidulans: confirmation of autogenous regulation.

The regulation of the expression of the A. nidulans niiA and niaD genes (encoding nitrite reductase and nitrate reductase activities, respectively) was investigated by Northern blotting. It was demonstrated that expression of the niiA and niaD genes is controlled at the level of mRNA accumulation and that mutations within the nirA and areA regulatory genes, as well as certain mutations within niaD itself or cnxE (for its molybdenum cofactor), markedly affect niiA and niaD transcript levels.

Aspergillus nidulans↗
PubMed1999

Competition between Escherichia coli strains expressing either a periplasmic or a membrane-bound nitrate reductase: does Nap confer a selective advantage during nitrate-limited growth?

The physiological role of the periplasmic nitrate reductase, Nap, one of the three nitrate reductases synthesized by Escherichia coli K-12, has been investigated. A series of double mutants that express only one nitrate reductase were grown anaerobically in batch cultures with glycerol as the non-fermentable carbon source and nitrate as the terminal electron acceptor. Only the strain expressing nitrate reductase A grew rapidly under these conditions. Introduction of a narL mutation severely decreased the growth rate of the nitrate reductase A strain, but enhanced the growth of the Nap(+) strain. The ability to use nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor for anaerobic growth is therefore regulated primarily by the NarL protein at the level of transcription. Furthermore, the strain expressing nitrate reductase A had a substantial selective advantage in competition with the strain expressing only Nap during nitrate-sufficient continuous culture. However, the strain expressing Nap was preferentially selected during nitrate-limited continuous growth. The saturation constants for nitrate for the two strains (which numerically are equal to the nitrate concentrations at half of the maximum specific growth rate and therefore reflect the relative affinities for nitrate) were estimated using the integrated Monod equation to be 15 and 50 microM for Nap and nitrate reductase A respectively. This difference is sufficient to explain the selective advantage of the Nap(+) strain during nitrate-limited growth. It is concluded that one physiological role of the periplasmic nitrate reductase of enteric bacteria is to enable bacteria to scavenge nitrate in nitrate-limited environments.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1989

Nitrate Reductase mRNA Regulation in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Nitrate Reductase-Deficient Mutants.

Light and substrate regulation of nitrate reductase (NR) expression were compared in wild type and mutant lines of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. Mutants affected in the NR structural gene (nia) or in the biosynthesis of the NR molybdenum cofactor (cnx) were examined. nia mutants expressing a defective apoenzyme, as well as cnx mutants, overexpressed NR mRNA, whereas nia mutants devoid of detectable NR protein had reduced or undetectable NR mRNA levels. Diurnal fluctuations of NR mRNA were specifically abolished in nia and cnx mutants, suggesting that the integrity of NR catalytic activity is required for the expression of diurnal oscillations. Unlike some fungal mutants, the nia and cnx mutants examined retained nitrate inducibility of NR expression. The possibility of autogenous control of NR expression in higher plants is discussed.

Journal Article↗