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Nitrogen use efficiency. 2. Amino acid metabolism
Author(s) -
Lea P.J.,
Azevedo R.A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.2007.00200.x
Subject(s) - biology , asparagine synthetase , glutamine synthetase , asparagine , biochemistry , amino acid , metabolism , nitrogen cycle , glutamine , gene , cytosol , amino acid synthesis , enzyme , isozyme , amino acid metabolism , nitrogen assimilation , alanine , mutant , glutamate synthase , nitrogen , lysine , physics , quantum mechanics
In a previous article, we highlighted the latest developments in the isolation and characterisation of genes involved in the uptake of nitrogen from the soil, which might be used to improve the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crop plants. In this article, we have concentrated on the genes controlling the enzymes of amino acid metabolism that may be involved in transferring nitrogen to the protein in the grain. Evidence is now accumulating from the use of knockout mutants, of the role of individual isoenzymes involved in amino acid metabolism, which are encoded by specific genes that are often members of a multigene family. In addition, a significant number of overexpressing plant lines have been obtained, which have increased activities of cytosol located, glutamine synthetase, asparagine synthetase and alanine aminotransferase that appear to have improved NUE.