Nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activities, nitrate and ammonia assimilation, in the unicellular algaCyanidium caldarium

✍ Scribed by Carmelo Rigano; Vittoria Martino Rigano; Vincenza Vona; Amodio Fuggi

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1981
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 588 KB
• Volume: 129
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0302-8933
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00455343

✦ Synopsis

Nitrogen-limited continuous cultures of Cyanidium caldarium contained induced levels of glutamine synthetase and nitrate reductase when either nitrate or ammonia was the sole nitrogen source. Nitrate reductase occurred in a catalytically active form. In the presence of excess ammonia, glutamine synthetase and nitrate reductase were repressed, the latter enzyme completely. In the presence of excess nitrate, intermediate levels of gkttamine synthetase activity occurred. Nitrate reductase was derepressed but occurred up to 60 % in a catalytically inactive form.

Cell suspensions of C. caldarium from nitrate-or ammonialimited cultures assimilated either ammonia or nitrate immediately when provided with these nutrients. In these types of cells, as well as in cells grown with excess nitrate, the rate of ammonia assimilation was 2.5-fold higher than the rate of nitrate assimilation. It is proposed that the reduced rate at which nitrate was assimilated as compared to ammonia might be due to regulatory mechanisms which operate at the level of nitrate reductase activity.