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/sup 15/N-Ammonia assimilation, 2-oxoglutarate transport, and glutamate export in spinach chloroplasts in the presence of dicarboxylates in the light

Journal Article · · Plant Physiol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5562387

The direct incorporation of /sup 15/NH/sub 4/Cl into amino acids in illuminated spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplasts in the presence of 2-oxoglutarate plus malate was determined. The amido-N of glutamine was the most highly labeled N-atom during /sup 15/NH/sub 4/ assimilation in the presence of malate. In 4 minutes the /sup 15/N-label of the amido-N of glutamine was 37% enriched. In contrast, values obtained for both the N-atom of glutamate and the amino-N of glutamine were only about 20% while that of the N-atom of aspartate was only 3%. The addition of malate during the assimilation of /sup 15/NH/sub 4/Cl and Na/sup 15/NO/sub 2/ greatly increased the /sup 15/N-label into glutamine but did not qualitatively change the order of the incorporation of /sup 15/N-label into all the amino acids examined. This evidence indicates the direct involvement of the glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase pathway for ammonia and nitrite assimilation in isolated chloroplasts. The addition of malate or succinate during ammonia assimilation also led to more than 3-fold increase in (/sup 14/C)2-oxoglutarate transport into the chloroplast as well as an increase in the export of (/sup 14/C)glutamate out of the chloroplast. Little (/sup 14/C)glutamine was detected in the medium of the chloroplast preparations. The stimulation of /sup 15/N-incorporation and (/sup 14/C)glutamate export by malate could be directly attributed to the increase in 2-oxoglutarate transport activity (via the 2-oxoglutarate translocator) observed in the presence of exogenous malate.

Research Organization:
Australian National Univ., Canberra City
OSTI ID:
5562387
Journal Information:
Plant Physiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Plant Physiol.; (United States) Vol. 85:3; ISSN PLPHA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English