Effect of some disaccharides, hexoses and pentoses on nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase in excised pea roots

Abstract

AbstractThe effects of exogenous sucrose, lactose, d‐glucose, d(‐)fructose, d‐galactose, d‐mannose, l‐sorbose, l‐arabinose and d‐xylose on nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) levels, on anaerobic nitrite production and on respiratory O2 consumption were studied in excised roots of pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Raman). Sucrose, glucose and fructose increase NR and GS levels and decrease GDH level (when compared with roots cultures without any sugar) at all concentrations used, but the extent of this effect varies. NR induction is enhanced by all sugars within the concentration range studied. Precultivation of roots with mannose and galactose results in an increase in anaerobic nitrite production in a medium consisting of phosphate buffer and KNO3. GS reaches its maximum at lower sugar concentrations, this fact being especially clear‐cut with galactose. The decrease in GS level observed in roots cultured without sucrose is enhanced by higher sorbose concentrations. The increase in GDH level occurring in roots cultured without sucrose is depressed by low galactose and mannose concentrations but enhanced by high galactose, mannose, xylose and a wide range of sorbose concentrations. Lactose exerts only slight influence on the enzymes. The effects of sugars are in no case consistent with their effect on respiratory O2 consumption which is most pronounced with NR.The above results show that the effects of sugars on NR, GS and GDH are not mediated by one universal mechanism.