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Emission of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) from transgenic tobacco expressing antisense NiR mRNA
Author(s) -
Goshima Naoki,
Mukai Toshihiro,
Suemori Mamiko,
Takahashi Misa,
Caboche Michel,
Morikawa Hiromichi
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the plant journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.058
H-Index - 269
eISSN - 1365-313X
pISSN - 0960-7412
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-313x.1999.00494.x
Subject(s) - nitrous oxide , transgene , messenger rna , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biology , genetics , gene , organic chemistry
Summary The emission of N 2 and N 2 O from intact transgenic tobacco (clone 271) expressing antisense nitrite reductase (NiR) mRNA, and wild‐type plants grown aseptically, on NO 3 – , NO 2 – or NH 4 + ‐containing medium was investigated. 15 N contents of gas sampled from gas‐sealed pots, in which the plants were grown on 15 N‐containing medium, were analyzed by gas chromato‐ graphy and mass spectrometry (GC–MS). No emission of N 2 was detected in either of the gas samples from plant clone 271 or the wild‐type grown on NO 3 – ‐containing medium. N 2 O emission from clone 271 grown on NO 3 – ‐containing medium was detected, but not from the wild‐type plants. The N 2 O emission rate of clone 271 was 106 ng N 2 O mg –1 incorporated N week –1 and the N 2 O emission was inhibited by tungstate (a nitrate reductase inhibitor). No emission of N 2 O was found from clone 271 or wild‐type plants grown on medium containing NH 4 + . Emission of N 2 O also was detected from clone 271 grown on NO 2 – ‐containing medium and its emission rate increased with increasing NO 2 – levels in plants. We speculate that NO 3 – is reduced to NO 2 – and that a part of NO 2 – is metabolized to N 2 O in clone 271.