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Use of gaseous 13 NH 3 administered to intact leaves of Nicotiana tabacum to study changes in nitrogen utilization during defence induction
Author(s) -
HANIK NILS,
GÓMEZ SARA,
SCHUELLER MICHAEL,
ORIANS COLIN M.,
FERRIERI RICHARD A.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2010.02215.x
Subject(s) - nicotiana tabacum , photorespiration , methyl jasmonate , glycine , nitrogen , elicitor , glutamine , biochemistry , chemistry , alanine , glutamine synthetase , serine , botany , amino acid , biology , photosynthesis , organic chemistry , enzyme , gene
ABSTRACT Nitrogen‐13 (t 1/2 9.97 m), a radioactive isotope of nitrogen, offers unique opportunities to explore plant nitrogen utilization over short time periods. Here we describe a method for administering 13 N as gaseous 13 NH 3 to intact leaves of Nicotiana tabacum L. (cv Samsun), and measuring the labelled amino acids using radio high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on tissue extract. We used this method to study the effects of defence induction on plant nitrogen utilization by applying treatments of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a potent defence elicitor. MeJA caused a significant increase relative to controls in key [ 13 N]amino acids, including serine, glycine and alanine by 4 h post‐treatment, yet had no effect on 13 NH 3 incorporation, a process that is primarily under the control of the glutamine synthatase/glutamate synthase pathway (GS/GOGAT) in cellular photorespiration. We suggest that the reconfiguration of nitrogen metabolism may reflect induction of non‐photorespiratory sources of nitrogen to better serve the plant's defences.