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Dark CO/sub 2/ fixation and amino acid metabolism in symbiotic N/sub 2/-fixing systems. Labeling studies with /sup 14/C and /sup 13/N-labeled tracers. [Roots of soybean plants and alders]

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6491087

Amino acid metabolism was examined by monitoring the amino acids labeled with (/sup 14/C) incorporated during dark CO/sub 2/ fixation and with (/sup 13/N) incorporated from /sup 13/NH/sub 4/+, /sup 13/NO/sub 3/- or (/sup 13/N)N/sub 2/. Label from /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ was directly incorporated in soybean roots and the N/sub 2/-fixing root nodules of soybeans and alders. The products of dark CO/sub 2/ fixation were primarily amino and organic acids. The distribution of label incorporated from /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ into amino acids depended on the plant species and the nitrigen source. The major labeled amino acids in roots and nodules of soybean plants dependent on N/sub 2/ were aspartate and glutamate; in alder nodules, citrulline; in roots of soybean plants treated with NO/sub 3/-, asparagine; and in roots of soybean plants treated with NH/sub 4/+, asparagine and glutamine. Asparagine was the major amino acid transported out of the soybean root system. Experiments indicated that asparagine was synthesized directly from aspartate. After exposure to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/, the specific activity of glutamine was consistently higher than that of glutamate in soybean nodules and roots of plants treated with NO/sub 3/-. This was taken as evidence that there were two pools of glutamate, only one of which was associated with glutamine synthesis. Alder and soybean nodules and roots were incubated with /sup 13/N-labeled tracers. Those tissues incubated with /sup 13/NH/sub 4/+ had a higher ratio of (/sup 13/N)glutamine to (/sup 13/N)glutamate that similar tissues exposed to /sup 13/NO/sub 3/- or (/sup 13/N)N/sub 2/. An explanation for these results based on the relative rates of glutamine and glutamate synthesis is discussed.

OSTI ID:
6491087
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English