Development of NAD(P)H: and NADH:Nitrate Reductase Activities in Soybean Cotyledons

The cotyledons of soybean begin to develop photosynthetic capacity shortly after emergence. The cotyledons develop nitrate reductase (NR) activity in parallel with an increase in chlorophyll and a decrease in protein. In crude extracts of 5- to 8-day-old cotyledons, NR activity is greatest with NADH as electron donor. In extracts of older cotyledons, NR activity is greatest with NADPH. Blue-Sepharose was used to purify and separate the NR activities into two fractions. When the blue-Sepharose was eluted with NADPH, NR activity was obtained which was most active with NADPH as electron donor. Assays of the NADPH-eluted NR with different concentrations of nitrate revealed that the highest activity was obtained in 80 millimolar KNO(3). Thus, this fraction has properties similar to the low nitrate affinity NAD(P)H:NR of soybean leaves. When 5- to 8-day-old cotyledons were extracted and purified, further elution of the blue-Sepharose with KNO(3), subsequent to the NADPH elution, yielded an NR fraction most active with NADH. Assays of this fraction with different nitrate concentrations revealed that this NR had a higher nitrate affinity and was similar to the NADH:NR of soybean leaves. The KNO(3)-eluted NR fraction which was purified from the extracts of 9- to 14-day-old cotyledons, was most active with NADPH. The analysis of these fractions prepared from the extracts of older cotyledons indicated that residual NAD(P)H:NR contaminated the NADH:NR. Despite this complication, the pattern of development of the purified NR fractions was consistent with the changes observed in the crude extract NR activities. It was concluded that NADH:NR was most active in young cotyledons and that as the cotyledons aged the NAD(P)H:NR became more active.