biologia plantarum

International journal on Plant Life established by Bohumil Němec in 1959

Biologia plantarum 46:281-287, 2003 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1022819114860

Nitrate Reductase in Wheat Plants Grown Under Water Stress and Inoculated with Azospirillum spp.

H.M. El-Komy1, M.A. Hamdia1, G.K. Abd El-Baki1
1 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Minia University, Minia, Egypt

The present investigation has been performed to evaluate nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrogenase activities as well as growth and mineral nutrition of wheat plants grown under drought stress and inoculated with different Azospirillum strains (NR- and NR+). Fresh, dry mass and water content decreased with decreasing soil moisture content, which was accompanied with low soluble sugars and soluble protein content and increase in the total amino acids content. Azospirillum inoculation with either bacterial strain (NR- and NR+) significantly increased the above characteristics even at 40 % moisture content. NR activity decreased in both the shoots and roots by decreasing soil moisture content. NR+ strain exhibited increased root NR activity compared with uninoculated plants or inoculated with NR- strain. However, plants inoculated with NR-strain increased NR activity in the shoot more than in the root of the same plant and in the shoot of control plants. Inoculation with either NR- and NR+ Azospirillum strains gave higher nitrogenase activity than uninoculated control plants. The low N supply (0.5 mM) did not affect nitrogenase activity. NR-strain was less effective than NR+strain in promoting total N-yield, spike numbers and their mass per pot. Azospirillum inoculation exhibited no significant changes in wheat Mg2+ content. However, K+ and Ca2+ have shown significantly increased values. Azospirillum beneficial effect on plant N balance and growth are most probably composed of multiple mechanisms and beneficial NR is one of them. The importance of Azospirillum NR+strains for increasing wheat resistance to water stress is also supported by the obtained data.

Keywords: amino acids; calcium; magnesium; nitrogen fixation; potassium; proteins; soil moisture content; sugars
Subjects: amino acids; Azospirillum inoculation, nitrate reductase, water stress; bacteria; calcium, nitrate reductase, water stress; carotenoids, salt stress; chlorophyll, water stress; growth analysis, biomass production; magnesium, nitrate reductase, water stress; nitrate reductase; potassium nutrition, nitrate reductase, water stress; proteins, nitrate reductase, water stress; sugars, nitrate reductase, water stress; water stress, nitrate reductase, Azospirillum inoculation

Prepublished online: March 1, 2003; Published: September 1, 2003  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
El-Komy, H.M., Hamdia, M.A., & Abd El-Baki, G.K. (2003). Nitrate Reductase in Wheat Plants Grown Under Water Stress and Inoculated with Azospirillum spp. Biologia plantarum, 46(2), 281-287. doi: 10.1023/A:1022819114860
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Abd El-Baki, G.K., Siefritz, F., Man, H.M., Weiner, H., Kaldenhoff, R., Kaiser, W.M.: Nitrate reductase in Zea mays L. under salinity.-Plant Cell Environ. 23: 515-521, 2000. Go to original source...
    2. Al-Rawahy, S.A., Stroehlein, J.L., Pessarakli, M.: Dry-matter yield and 15N, Na+, Cl- and K+ content of tomatoes under sodium chloride stress.-J. Plant Nutr. 15: 341-358, 1992. Go to original source...
    3. Bashan, Y.: Short exposure to Azospirillum brasilense Cd inoculation enhanced proton efflux of intact wheat roots.-Can. J. Microbiol. 36: 419-425, 1990. Go to original source...
    4. Bashan, Y.: Azospirillum plant growth-promoting strains are non-pathogenic on tomato, pepper, and cotton.-Can. J. Microbiol. 44: 168-174, 1998. Go to original source...
    5. Bashan, Y., Harrison, S.K., Whitmoyer, R.E.: Enhanced growth of wheat and soybean plants inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense is not necessarily due to general enhancement of mineral uptake.-Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 56: 769-777, 1990. Go to original source...
    6. Bashan, Y., Holguin, G.: Azospirillum-plant relationships: environmental and physiological advances (1990-1996).-Can. J. Microbiol. 43: 103-121, 1997. Go to original source...
    7. Bates, L.S., Waldern, R.P., Teare, I.D.: Rapid determination of free proline for water stress studies.-Plant Soil 39: 205-207, 1973. Go to original source...
    8. Boddey, R.M., Döbereiner, J.: Nitrogen fixation associated with grasses and cereals: Recent results and perpectives for future research.-Plant Soil 108: 53-65, 1988. Go to original source...
    9. Bothe, H., Korsgen, H., Lehmacher, T., Hundeshagen, B.: Differential effects of Azospirillum auxin, and combined nitrogen on the growth of the roots of wheat.-Symbiosis 13: 167-179, 1992.
    10. Cramer, M.D., Lips, S.H.: Enriched rhizosphere CO2 concentrations can ameliorate the influence of salinity on hydroponically grown tomato plants.-Physiol. Plant. 94: 425-432, 1995. Go to original source...
    11. Crawford, N.M.: Nitrate: nutrient and signal for plant growth.-Plant Cell 7: 859-868, 1995. Go to original source...
    12. Danneberg, G., Kronenberg, A., Neuer, G., Bothe, H.: Aspects of nitrogen fixation and denitrification by Azospirillum.-Plant Soil 90: 193-202, 1986. Go to original source...
    13. Devitt, D.A., Stolzy, L., Labanauskas, C.K.: Impact of potassium, sodium and salinity on the protein and free amino acid content of wheat grain.-Plant Soil 103: 101-109, 1987. Go to original source...
    14. El-Komy, H.M.: Ecological and physiological studies on the genus Azospirillum from the rhizosphere of maize and rice plants.-Ph. D. Thesis. All-Russian Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, St. Petersburg 1992.
    15. Fales, D.R.: The assimilation and degradation of carbohydrates of yeast cells.-J. biol. Chem. 193: 113-118, 1951. Go to original source...
    16. Ferrira, M.C.B., Fernandes, M.S., Döbereiner, J.: Role of Azospirillum brasilense nitrate reductase in nitrate assimilation by wheat plants.-Biol. Fertil. Soils 4: 47-53, 1987. Go to original source...
    17. Grattan, S.R., Grieve, C.M.: Mineral nutrient acquisition and response by plants grown in saline environment.-In: Pessarakli, M. (ed.): Handbook of Plant and Crop Stresses. Pp. 203-224. Marcel Dekker, New York 1993.
    18. Hamdia, M.A., El-Komy, H.M.: Effect of salinity, gibberellic acid and Azospirillum inoculation on growth and nitrogen uptake of Zea mays.-Biol. Plant. 109: 109-120, 1998. Go to original source...
    19. Hamdia, M.A., El-Komy, H.M., Barakat, N.: The role of foliar and potassium fertilization and/or Azospirillium lipoforum or Bacillus polymexa inoculation in nitrogen fixation and mineral nutrition of maize grown under salt stress.-In: Xth International Colloquium for the Optimization of Plant Nutrition. P. 193. Cairo 2000.
    20. Hegazi, N.A.: Contribution of Azospirillum spp. in asymbiotic N2-fixation in Egypt.-In: Klingmaller, W. (ed.): Azospirillium II-Genetics, Physiology, Ecology. Pp. 171-189. Springer-Verlag, Berlin 1983. Go to original source...
    21. Jaworski, E.G.: Nitrate reductase assay in intact plant tissues.-Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 43: 1274-1279, 1971. Go to original source...
    22. Katerji, N., Van Hoorn, J.W., Hamdy, A., Mastrorilli, M.: Salt tolerance classification of crops according to soil salinity and to water stress day index.-Agr. Water Manage. 43: 99-109, 2000. Go to original source...
    23. Lowry, O.H., Rosenbrough, N.J., Farr, A.L., Ramdall, R.J.: Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent.-J. biol. Chem. 193: 265-275, 1951. Go to original source...
    24. Martinez, V., Cerda, A.: Nitrate reductase activity in tomato and cucumber leaves as influenced by NaCl and N-source.-J. Plant Nutr. 12: 1335-1350, 1989. Go to original source...
    25. Metzner, H., Rau, H., Senger, H.: Untersuchungen zur Synchronisierbarkeit einzelner Pigment-Mangel Mutanten von Chlorella.-Planta 65: 186-194, 1965. Go to original source...
    26. Mohammed, M., Campbell, W.F., Rumbaugh, M.D.: Variation in salt tolerance of alflalfa.-Arid Soil Rehabil. 3: 11-20, 1989. Go to original source...
    27. Moore, O.S., Stein, W.: Photometric ninhydrin method for use in the chromatography of amino acids.-J. biol. Chem. 17: 367-388, 1948. Go to original source...
    28. Munjal, N., Sawhney, S.K., Sawhney, V.: Activation of nitrate reductase in extracts of water stressed wheat.-Phytochemistry 45: 659-665, 1997. Go to original source...
    29. Neyra, C.A., Döbereiner, J., Lalande, R., Knowles, R.: Denitrification by N2-fixing Spirillum lipoferum.-Can. J. Microbiol. 23: 300-305, 1977. Go to original source...
    30. Omay, S.H., Schmidt, W.A., Martin, P.F., Bangerth, F.: Indoleacetic acid production by the rhizosphere bacterium Azospirillum brasilense Cd. under in vitro conditions.-Can. J. Microbiol. 39: 187-192, 1993. Go to original source...
    31. Ourry, A., Mesle, S., Boucaud, J.: Effects of osmotic stress (NaCl and polyethylene glycol) on nitrate uptake, translocation, storage and reduction in ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.).-New Phytol. 120: 275-280, 1992. Go to original source...
    32. Peuke, A.D., Glaab, J., Kaiser, W.M., Jeschke, W.D.: The uptake and flow of C, N and ions between roots and shoots in Ricinus communis L. IV. Flow and metabolism of inorganic nitrogen and malate depending on nitrogen nutrition and salt treatment.-J. exp. Bot. 47: 377-385, 1996. Go to original source...
    33. Rennie, R.J.: 15N-isotope dilution as a measure of dinitrogen fixation by Azospirillum brasilense associated with maize.-Can. J. Bot. 58: 21-24, 1980. Go to original source...
    34. Ribaudo, C.M., Paccusse, A.N., Cura, J.A., Fraschina, A.A.: Azospirillum maize association: effects on dry matter yield and nitrate reductase activity.-Agr. Trop. Subtrop. 31: 61-70, 1998.
    35. Ribaudo, C.M., Rondanini, D.P., Curá, J.A., Fraschina, A.A.: response of Zea mays to the inoculation with Azospirillum on nitrogen metabolism under greenhouse conditions.-Biol. Plant. 44: 631-634, 2001. Go to original source...
    36. Rodrigues-Caceres, E.A.R.: Improved medium for isolation of Azospirillum spp.-Appl. environ. Microbiol. 44: 990-991, 1982. Go to original source...
    37. Sagi, M., Savidov, N.A., Lvov, N.P., Lips, S.H.: Nitrate reductase and molybdenum cofactor in annual ryegrass as affected by salinity and nitrogen source.-Physiol. Plant. 99: 546-553, 1997. Go to original source...
    38. Sarwar, K.S., Rahaman, M., Khan, S.: Effect of Azospirillum lipoferum on growth, yield and nutrient content of rice.-Bull. Inst. Trop. Agr. Sarak 21: 9-17, 1998.
    39. Schwarzenbach, G., Biedermann, W.: Complexons X. Alkaline earth complexes of O,O-dihydroxyazodyes.-Helv. chim. Acta 31: 678-687, 1948 Go to original source...
    40. Solomonson, L.P., Barber, M.J.: Assimilatory nitrate reductase: functional properties and regulation.-Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol Plant mol. Biol. 41: 225-253, 1990. Go to original source...
    41. Stancheva, I., Dimitrov, I. Kaloyanova, N., Dinev, N., Poushkarov, N.: Improvement of the nitrogen uptake and nitrogen content in maize (Zea mays L.) by inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense.-Agrochimica 39: 299-306, 1995.
    42. Turner, G.L., Gibson, A.H.: Measurement of nitrogen fixation by indirect means.-In: Bergersen, F.J. (ed.): Methods for Evaluating Biological Nitrogen Fixation. Pp. 111-138. John Willey & Sons, New York 1980.
    43. Van Hoorn, J.W., Katerji, N., Hamdy, A., Mastrorilli, M.: Effect of salinity on yield and nitrogen uptake of four grain legumes and on biological nitrogen contribution from the soil.-Agr. Water Manage 51: 87-98, 2000. Go to original source...
    44. Williams, V., Twine, S.: Flame photometric method for sodium, potassium and calcium.-In: Peach, K., Tracey, M.V. (ed.).: Modern Methods of Plant Analysis. Vol. V. Pp. 3-5. Springer-Verlag, Berlin 1960.
    45. Zahran, H.H.: Conditions for successful Rhizobium-legume symbiosis in saline environments.-Biol. Fertil. Soils 12: 73-80, 1991. Go to original source...

    Return to the content