Nitrogen Acquisition and Assimilation in Higher Plants

303 Pages·2004·2.87 MB·English

by  Bruno Touraine (auth.)

NITROGEN ACQUISITION AND
ASSIMILATION IN HIGHER PLANTS
Plant Ecophysiology

Volume 3
Series Editors:
Luit J. De Kok and Ineke Stulen
University of Groningen
The Netherlands
Aims & Scope:
The Kluwer Handbook Series of Plant Ecophysiology comprises a series of books that deals with the
impact of biotic and abiotic factors on plant functioning and physiological adaptation to the
environment. The aim of the Plant Ecophysiology series is to review and integrate the present
knowledge on the impact of the environment on plant functioning and adaptation at various levels of
integration: from the molecular, biochemical, physiological to a whole plant level. This Handbook
series is of interest to scientists who like to be informed of new developments and insights in plant
ecophysiology, and can be used as advanced textbooks for biology students.
The titles published in this series are listed at the end of this volume.
Nitrogen Acquisition
and Assimilation in
Higher Plants

Edited by

Sara Amâncio

Technical University of Lisbon
Portugal

and

Ineke Stulen

University of Groningen
The Netherlands
KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS
DORDRECHT/BOSTON/LONDON
A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 1-4020-2727-3 (HB)
ISBN 1-4020-2728-1 (e-book)
Published by Kluwer Academic Publishers,
P.O. Box 17, 3300 AADordrecht, The Netherlands.
Sold and distributed in North, Central and South America
by Kluwer Academic Publishers,
101 Philip Drive, Norwell, MA02061, U.S.A.
In all other countries, sold and distributed
by Kluwer Academic Publishers,
P.O. Box 322, 3300 AHDordrecht, The Netherlands.
Printed on acid-free paper
Cover illustrations:
Lower left corner: Part of a model on the localisation and regulation of the
processes of uptake of nitrate in the root plasmalemma. A, amino acids; E,
nitrate efflux; I, nitrate influx (Margreet ter Steege, University of Groningen,
The Netherlands). Middle: An agro-ecosystem near Groningen, The Netherlands
(Ineke Stulen). Upper right corner: Part of in vivo 15N-NMR spectra of root
apices perfused with 15NH NO . GLN, glutamine; ALA, alanine; GLU,
4 3
glutamate (Sara Amâncio, Technical University of Lisbon; Helena Santos,
ITQB, Oeiras, Portugal; figure by Belmiro J. Vilela, Lisbon).

Indexing: Daniël J.A. De Kok (Groningen)
Technical editing of the figures: Dick Visser (Groningen)
All Rights Reserved
©2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers
No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the
exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered
and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work.
Printed in the Netherlands.
Dedicated to our friend and colleague

Wolfram Ullrich
We are grateful to the contributing authors for the time and
effort spent in writing their chapters.
Contents
Contributors xi

Preface xiii

1. Nitrate uptake by roots - transporters and root
development
Bruno Touraine 1

2. Metabolic regulation of ammonium uptake and
assimilation
Tomoyuki Yamaya and Ann Oaks 35

3. Atmospheric nitrogen - pollutant or fertiliser?
Lucy J. Sheppard and Håkan Wallander 65

4. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation
Javier Ramos and Ton Bisseling 99

5. Nitrogen metabolism and plant adaptation to the
environment - the scope for process-based modelling
Marcel van Oijen and Peter Levy 133

6. Light regulation of nitrate uptake, assimilation and
metabolism
Cathrine Lillo 149

7. Modulation of nitrate reduction - environmental and
internal factors involved
Werner M. Kaiser, Elisabeth Planchet, Maria Stoimenova
and Matasoshi Sonoda 185

8. Integrated molecular analysis of the polyamine
pathway in abiotic stress signalling
Alejandro Ferrando, Pedro Carrasco, Juan Cruz Cuevas,
Teresa Altabella and Antonio F. Tiburcio 207

9. Significance of secondary nitrogen metabolites for
food quality
Silvia Haneklaus and Ewald Schnug 231

10. Biotechnology of nitrogen acquisition in rice -
implications for food security
Dev T. Britto and Herbert J. Kronzucker 261

Index 283
ix
Contributors

Teresa Altabella
Laboratori de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona,
Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

Ton Bisseling
Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wageningen,
Dreijenlaan 3,6703 HA Wageningen, The Netherlands

Dev T. Britto
Division of Life Sciences, Department of Botany,
1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario, MiC 1A4 Canada

Pedro Carrasco
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universitad de Valencia,
Dr. Moliner 50 Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain

Juan Cruz Cuevas
Laboratori de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona,
Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

Alejandro Ferrando
Laboratori de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona,
Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

Silvia Haneklaus
Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Federal Agricultural Research Centre
(FAL), Bundesallee 50, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany

Werner M. Kaiser
Julius von Sachs Institute of Biosciences, University of Würzburg,
Julius von Sachs Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany

Herbert J. Kronzucker
Division of Life Sciences, Department of Botany,
1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario, MiC 1A4 Canada

Peter Levy
CEH - Edinburgh, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, Scotland

Cathrine Lillo
School of Technology and Science, Stavanger University College,
Box 8002, 4068 Stavanger, Norway

xi
xii

Ann Oaks
Suite 1604, 685 Woolwich Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 8M6, Canada

Elisabeth Planchet
Julius von Sachs Institute of Biosciences, University of Würzburg,
Julius von Sachs Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany

Javier Ramos
Departamento de Nutricíon Vegetal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas,
Apdo 202, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain

Ewald Schnug
Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Federal Agricultural Research Centre
(FAL), Bundesallee 50, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany

Lucy J. Sheppard
CEH - Edinburgh, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, Scotland

Matasoshi Sonoda
Julius von Sachs Institute of Biosciences, University of Würzburg,
Julius von Sachs Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany

Maria Stoimenova
Julius von Sachs Institute of Biosciences, University of Würzburg,
Julius von Sachs Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany

Antonio F. Tiburcio
Laboratori de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona,
Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

Bruno Touraine
UMR 113, Symbioses Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, Université Montpellier 2,
CC 002, Place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France

Marcel van Oijen
CEH - Edinburgh, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, Scotland

Håkan Wallander
Department of Microbial Ecology, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden

Tomoyuki Yamaya
Graduate School of Agricultural Science,Tohoku University,

1-1 Tsutsumidori-Amamiyamacha, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-855, Japan
Preface

Nitrogen Acquisition and Assimilation in Higher Plants is the third volume in
the Plant Ecophysiology series. The main aim of this volume is to integrate
different research approaches for a better understanding of the regulation of
nitrogen metabolism by environmental signals. The book is divided into three
parts. Chapters 1-5 mainly deal with the processes involved, while chapters 6-8
are more focussed on regulatory aspects. The significance of nitrogen
metabolism for food quality and security is the topic of chapters 9 and 10.
Nitrogen can be acquired by plant roots as nitrate (chapter 1) or ammonium
(chapter 2). In both chapters the physiology and molecular biology of the uptake
processes and regulation of its transporters are addressed. Chapter 1 also deals
with the effect of nitrate in the environment on root development, and chapter 2
with the metabolic regulation of the assimilation of ammonium, including gene
manipulation. Plants can acquire atmospheric nitrogen as well, from nitrogenous
air pollutants (chapter 3) or by N fixation (chapter 4). Whether atmospheric
2
nitrogen is a pollutant or a fertiliser is the main topic of chapter 3. Chapter 4
stresses the importance of N fixation, and deals with the latest developments in
2
the cloning of genes involved in the legume-Rhizobium interaction. To what
extent modelling can help in understanding the role of nitrogen metabolism in
plant adaptation to the environment is the topic of chapter 5.
The role of light in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of the
genes involved in nitrate uptake, reduction and assimilation is reviewed in
chapter 6. Chapter 7 reviews the modulation of nitrate reductase activity by
environmental and internal signals, and its effect on the production of NO.
Chapter 8 deals with the metabolic pathway of polyamines, molecules involved
in abiotic stress signalling, and includes advanced genomic and proteomic
approaches.
Chapter 9 is focussed on the significance of secondary nitrogen compounds
for food quality. Chapter 10 highlights the implementation of conventional and
recombinant-DNA breeding methods to increase both yield and agronomic N-
use efficiency of rice, the most important cereal for human nutrition.
This volume is of interest for advanced students and junior researchers, and
provides comprehensive information and the latest developments for scientists
working in the field of nitrogen metabolism and readers interested in sustainable
development.

Sara Amâncio
Ineke Stulen

xiii