Abstract
In the present study, the role of phytohormone gibberellins (GAs) on regulating the nitrate reductase (NR) activity was tested in Arabidopsis seedlings. The NR activity in light-grown Col-0 seedlings was reduced by exogenous GA₃ (an active form of GAs), but enhanced by exogenous paclobutrazol (PAC, a gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitor), suggesting that GAs negatively regulate the NR activity in light-grown seedlings. Light is known to influence the NR activity through both photosynthesis and phytochromes. When etiolated seedlings were transferred to white or red light, both exogenously applied GA₃ and PAC were found to function on the NR activity only in the presence of sucrose, implying that GAs are not involved in light signaling-induced but negatively regulate photoproducts-induced NR activity. NR is regulated by light mainly at two levels: transcript level and post-translational level. Our reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assays showed that GAs did not affect the transcript levels of NIA1 and NIA2, two genes that encode NR proteins. But the divalent cations (especially Mg²⁺) were required for GAs negative regulation of NR activity, in view of the importance of divalent cations during the process of post-translational regulation of NR activity, which indicates that GAs very likely regulate the NR activity at the post-translational level. In the following dark-light shift analyses, GAs were found to accelerate dark-induced decrease, but retard light-induced increase of the NR activity. Furthermore, it was observed that application of G₃ or PAC could impair diurnal variation of the NR activity. These results collectively indicate that GAs play a negative role during light regulation of NR activity in nature.
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