Glutamine Synthetase Is a Molecular Target of Nitric Oxide in Root Nodules of Medicago truncatula and Is Regulated by Tyrosine Nitration

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2011

Authors

melo, pm (Author) FCUP; silva, ls (Author) Other; ribeiro, i (Author) Other; seabra, ar (Author) Other; carvalho, hg (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Plant Physiology

Vol. 157

Pages: 1505-1517

ISSN: 0032-0889

Publisher: American Society of Plant Biologists

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 115 Citations

Scopus - 117 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Biological sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-K0W

DOI: 10.1104/pp.111.186056

Abstract (EN): Nitric oxide (NO) is emerging as an important regulatory player in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis, but its biological role in nodule functioning is still far from being understood. To unravel the signal transduction cascade and ultimately NO function, it is necessary to identify its molecular targets. This study provides evidence that glutamine synthetase (GS), a key enzyme for root nodule metabolism, is a molecular target of NO in root nodules of Medicago truncatula, being regulated by tyrosine (Tyr) nitration in relation to active nitrogen fixation. In vitro studies, using purified recombinant enzymes produced in Escherichia coli, demonstrated that the M. truncatula nodule GS isoenzyme (MtGS1a) is subjected to NO-mediated inactivation through Tyr nitration and identified Tyr-167 as the regulatory nitration site crucial for enzyme inactivation. Using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, it is shown that GS is nitrated in planta and that its nitration status changes in relation to active nitrogen fixation. In ineffective nodules and in nodules fed with nitrate, two conditions in which nitrogen fixation is impaired and GS activity is reduced, a significant increase in nodule GS nitration levels was observed. Furthermore, treatment of root nodules with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside resulted in increased in vivo GS nitration accompanied by a reduction in GS activity. Our results support a role of NO in the regulation of nitrogen metabolism in root nodules and places GS as an important player in the process. We propose that the NO-mediated GS posttranslational inactivation is related to metabolite channeling to boost the nodule antioxidant defenses in response to NO.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13