scholarly journals Regulation of nap Gene Expression and Periplasmic Nitrate Reductase Activity in the Phototrophic Bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides DSM158

2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (6) ◽  
pp. 1693-1702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónica Gavira ◽  
M. Dolores Roldán ◽  
Francisco Castillo ◽  
Conrado Moreno-Vivián

ABSTRACT Bacterial periplasmic nitrate reductases (Nap) can play different physiological roles and are expressed under different conditions depending on the organism. Rhodobacter sphaeroides DSM158 has a Nap system, encoded by the napKEFDABC gene cluster, but nitrite formed is not further reduced because this strain lacks nitrite reductase. Nap activity increases in the presence of nitrate and oxygen but is unaffected by ammonium. Reverse transcription-PCR and Northern blots demonstrated that the napKEFDABC genes constitute an operon transcribed as a single 5.5-kb product. Northern blots and nap-lacZ fusions revealed that nap expression is threefold higher under aerobic conditions but is regulated by neither nitrate nor ammonium, although it is weakly induced by nitrite. On the other hand, nitrate but not nitrite causes a rapid enzyme activation, explaining the higher Nap activity found in nitrate-grown cells. Translational nap′-′lacZ fusions reveal that the napK and napD genes are not efficiently translated, probably due to mRNA secondary structures occluding the translation initiation sites of these genes. Neither butyrate nor caproate increases nap expression, although cells growing phototrophically on these reduced substrates show a very high Nap activity in vivo (nitrite accumulation is sevenfold higher than in medium with malate). Phototrophic growth on butyrate or caproate medium is severely reduced in the NapA− mutants. Taken together, these results indicate that nitrate reduction in R. sphaeroides is mainly regulated at the level of enzyme activity by both nitrate and electron supply and confirm that the Nap system is involved in redox balancing using nitrate as an ancillary oxidant to dissipate excess reductant.

1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (13) ◽  
pp. 1540-1544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert C. Purvis

Two cultivars of soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) differing widely in their resistance to ozone were exposed to 0.5 μl/ℓ ozone for 2 h in growth chambers. In vivo nitrate reduction was depressed by more than 50% in the primary leaves of Dare, the ozone-sensitive cultivar, but was not significantly altered in Hood, the ozone-resistant cultivar. Sucrose, up to 1.5% (w/v), added to excised seedlings of the Dare cultivar during exposure to ozone eliminated the ozone depression of in vivo nitrate reductase activity and also reduced foliar injury. Addition of two glycolytic intermediates, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and fructose-1,6-diphosphate, to the infiltration medium recovered some in vivo nitrate reduction in treated Dare leaves. The levels of extractable nitrate reductase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in the primary leaves of both cultivars were unaltered by ozone fumigations. These observations led to the conclusion that ozone depression of in vivo nitrate reduction is not due to ozone inactivation of nitrate reductase or of the enzymes coupling nitrate reduction to glycolysis, but may be caused by an inadequate supply of photosynthetic sugars. It was also noted that ozone depression of in vivo nitrate reduction only occurred with treatments which subsequently caused the development of visible foliar injury.


1977 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos A. Neyra ◽  
Peter Van Berkum

Nitrate and nitrite reduction under aerobic, microaerophillic, and anaerobic conditions was demonstrated in Spirillum lipoferum (ATCC 29145). Nitrite did not accumulate during assimilatory nitrate reduction in air. The nitrite produced during dissimilatory nitrate reduction accumulated in the medium but not in the cells. On exposure of the bacteria to nitrate and anaerobiosis, a low initial rate (lag) was followed by accelerated rates of nitrite accumulation. A 3-h anaerobic pretreatment, in the absence of nitrate, did not avoid the lag phase. No nitrate reductase activity (NRA) developed in the presence of chloramphenicol. The data suggest that induction of anaerobic NRA in S. lipoferum required nitrate and protein synthesis.Anaerobic N2ase activity by S. lipoferum was greatly stimulated in the presence of nitrate. The time course of nitrate reduction was coincidental with the pattern of nitrate-stimulated N2ase activity indicating that a relationship exists between these two processes.


1976 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
MIR HATAM ◽  
D. J. HUME

An in vivo assay for nitrate reductase (NR) activity was adapted to measure total NR activity in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] plants grown for a 29-day period indoors. Disappearance of nitrate from the nutrient solution, plant nitrate and total plant nitrogen (N) also were measured. Under the conditions of this experiment, nitrate reduction estimated from NR activities agreed closely with actual nitrate reduction. The same assay was used to measure leaf NR activities of field-grown soybeans throughout the 1971 growing season. Leaf NR activities accounted for 77 and 72% of the total N uptake in plants receiving 0 and 280 kg N as NH4NO3/ha, respectively. Measurements of nitrate and ammonium losses from soil under soybeans and under adjacent bare soil at three stages of plant development suggested that in plots receiving no fertilizer N, 86% of N uptake from the soil was in the form of nitrate. The NR activity of field-grown plants agreed well with total plant N derived from soil nitrates. Results indicated that leaf NR activities were proportional to nitrate uptake and might be used to determine amounts and seasonal patterns of nitrate uptake by soybean plants.


2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (8) ◽  
pp. 2745-2751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rute Rodrigues ◽  
João B. Vicente ◽  
Rute Félix ◽  
Solange Oliveira ◽  
Miguel Teixeira ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Desulfovibrio gigas flavodiiron protein (FDP), rubredoxin:oxygen oxidoreductase (ROO), was proposed to be the terminal oxidase of a soluble electron transfer chain coupling NADH oxidation to oxygen reduction. However, several members from the FDP family, to which ROO belongs, revealed nitric oxide (NO) reductase activity. Therefore, the protection afforded by ROO against the cytotoxic effects of NO was here investigated. The NO and oxygen reductase activities of recombinant ROO in vitro were tested by amperometric methods, and the enzyme was shown to effectively reduce NO and O2. Functional complementation studies of an Escherichia coli mutant strain lacking the ROO homologue flavorubredoxin, an NO reductase, showed that ROO restores the anaerobic growth phenotype of cultures exposed to otherwise-toxic levels of exogenous NO. Additional studies in vivo using a D. gigas roo-deleted strain confirmed an increased sensitivity to NO of the mutant strain in comparison to the wild type. This effect is more pronounced when using the nitrosating agent S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), which effectively impairs the growth of the D. gigas Δroo strain. roo is constitutively expressed in D. gigas under all conditions tested. However, real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis revealed a twofold induction of mRNA levels upon exposure to GSNO, suggesting regulation at the transcription level by NO. The newly proposed role of D. gigas ROO as an NO reductase combined with the O2 reductase activity reveals a versatility which appears to afford protection to D. gigas at the onset of both oxidative and nitrosative stresses.


Weed Science ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.L. Finke ◽  
R.L. Warner ◽  
T.J. Muzik

The effects of herbicides on in vivo nitrate and nitrite reduction were determined by vacuum infiltrating sections of barley (Hordeum vulgareL.) or bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.) leaves with solutions containing nitrate and herbicides. Herbicides causing a reduction of nitrite accumulation in the dark were considered to have inhibitory effects upon nitrate reduction and those causing an accumulation of nitrite in the light were considered to inhibit nitrite reduction. Only dinoseb (2-sec-butyl-4,6-dinitrophenol) and potassium azide significantly reduced nitrate reduction in both barley and bean. All of the herbicides which inhibit photosynthesis inhibited nitrite reduction but had no significant effect on nitrate reduction in barley and bean. Nitrite reduction in an atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine] resistant pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexusL.) biotype was not affected by any triazine tested. However, these triazines significantly inhibited nitrite reduction in barley, bean, and the susceptible pigweed biotype. The results suggest that the in vivo nitrate reductase technique may be a useful technique for identifying chemicals which inhibit the flow of electrons to ferredoxin, thereby inhibiting nitrite reduction in light.


2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grażyna Kłobus

The sources of the nitrate reductase (E.C 1.6.6.1) reducing equivalents were searched for in roots of <em>Pisum arvense</em> by measuring <em>in vivo</em> and <em>in vitro</em> nitrate reductase activity. It was found that the NADH<sub>2</sub> utilised in the process of nitrate reduction in the roots of <em>P. arvense</em> may be formed by glycolysis as well as in processes of organic acids oxidation such as 2-oxoglutaric, succinic and malic acids.


1982 ◽  
Vol 47 (03) ◽  
pp. 244-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
D P Thomas ◽  
Rosemary E Merton ◽  
T W Barrowcliffe ◽  
L Thunberg ◽  
U Lindahl

SummaryThe in vitro and in vivo characteristics of two oligosaccharide heparin fragments have been compared to those of unfractionated mucosal heparin. A decasaccharide fragment had essentially no activity by APTT or calcium thrombin time assays in vitro, but possessed very high specific activity by anti-Factor Xa assays. When injected into rabbits at doses of up to 80 ¼g/kg, this fragment was relatively ineffective in impairing stasis thrombosis despite producing high blood levels by anti-Xa assays. A 16-18 monosaccharide fragment had even higher specific activity (almost 2000 iu/mg) by chromogenic substrate anti-Xa assay, with minimal activity by APTT. When injected in vivo, this fragment gave low blood levels by APTT, very high anti-Xa levels, and was more effective in preventing thrombosis than the decasaccharide fragment. However, in comparison with unfractionated heparin, the 16-18 monosaccharide fragment was only partially effective in preventing thrombosis, despite producing much higher blood levels by anti-Xa assays.It is concluded that the high-affinity binding of a heparin fragment to antithrombin III does not by itself impair venous thrombogenesis, and that the anti-Factor Xa activity of heparin is only a partial expression of its therapeutic potential.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-235
Author(s):  
Pooja Shah ◽  
Vishal Chavda ◽  
Snehal Patel ◽  
Shraddha Bhadada ◽  
Ghulam Md. Ashraf

Background: Postprandial hyperglycemia considered to be a major risk factor for cerebrovascular complications. Objective: The current study was designed to elucidate the beneficial role of voglibose via in-silico in vitro to in-vivo studies in improving the postprandial glycaemic state by protection against strokeprone type 2 diabetes. Material and Methods: In-Silico molecular docking and virtual screening were carried out with the help of iGEMDOCK+ Pymol+docking software and Protein Drug Bank database (PDB). Based on the results of docking studies, in-vivo investigation was carried out for possible neuroprotective action. T2DM was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin (90mg/kg, i.v.) to neonates. Six weeks after induction, voglibose was administered at the dose of 10mg/kg p.o. for two weeks. After eight weeks, diabetic rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion, and after 72 hours of surgery, neurological deficits were determined. The blood was collected for the determination of serum glucose, CK-MB, LDH and lipid levels. Brains were excised for determination of brain infarct volume, brain hemisphere weight difference, Na+-K+ ATPase activity, ROS parameters, NO levels, and aldose reductase activity. Results: In-silico docking studies showed good docking binding score for stroke associated proteins, which possibly hypotheses neuroprotective action of voglibose in stroke. In the present in-vivo study, pre-treatment with voglibose showed a significant decrease (p<0.05) in serum glucose and lipid levels. Voglibose has shown significant (p<0.05) reduction in neurological score, brain infarct volume, the difference in brain hemisphere weight. On biochemical evaluation, treatment with voglibose produced significant (p<0.05) decrease in CK-MB, LDH, and NO levels in blood and reduction in Na+-K+ ATPase, oxidative stress, and aldose reductase activity in brain homogenate. Conclusion: In-silico molecular docking and virtual screening studies and in-vivo studies in MCAo induced stroke, animal model outcomes support the strong anti-stroke signature for possible neuroprotective therapeutics.


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