Response of Ammonia Assimilation in Cucumber Seedlings to Nitrate Stress

Abstract

The influence of increased nitrate concentration—14 (control) and 140 mmol L−1 (T)—in hydroponic culture on ammonia assimilation in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Xintaimici) seedlings was investigated. The results showed that NH3 accumulation in the roots and leaves of T seedlings increased significantly, indicating that NH3 toxicity might be involved in nitrate stress. Under control conditions, GS and GOGAT activity were much higher in the leaves than in the roots, whereas GDH activity was much higher in the roots than in the leaves. Correlation analysis showed that NH3 concentration had a strong negative linear relationship with GDH activity in the roots but had a strong negative linear relationship with GS and GOGAT activity in the leaves. These results indicate that NH3 might be assimilated primarily via GDH reaction in the roots and via GS/GOGAT cycle in the leaves. Short-term nitrate stress resulted in the increase of GS and GOGAT activity in the roots and GDH activity in the leaves of T seedlings, indicating possible shifts in ammonia assimilation from the normal GDH pathway to GS/GOGAT pathway in the roots and from the normal GS/GOGAT pathway to the GDH pathway in the leaves under nitrate stress, but with the increase of treatment time, GS, GOGAT, and GDH activity in the roots and leaves of T seedlings decreased possibly due to low water potential and NH3 toxicity.