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Nitrogen remobilization in shoots of Paris polyphylla is altered by gibberellic acid application during senescence

  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

Nitrogen remobilization during senescence has been studied in perennial herb Paris polyphylla. We analyzed changes in N content, amino acids, N-remobilization enzymes and effects of gibberellic acid (GA) during natural senescence. There was a gradual decrease in the contents of N, chlorophyll and soluble proteins and activities of glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH; EC 1.4.1.2). Activity staining and Western blots showed that GS2 activity decreased, whereas GS1 activity was relatively stable over time. In contrast, the C/N ratio and total amino acid content increased. Among individual amino acids, the proportions of glutamine (Gln) and asparagine (Asn) increased, and proportions of arginine, aspartate and glycine decreased. Treatment with GA slowed the senescence and retarded decreases in the activities of GS and GLDH and the contents of N, chlorophyll and soluble proteins. Conversely, this treatment slowed increases in the C/N ratio, total free amino acid content, and proportions of Gln and Asn. We conclude that low N resorption efficiency during senescence of P. polyphylla results from a sharp decrease in N remobilization enzyme activity.

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Abbreviations

Arg:

arginine

Asn:

asparagine

Asp:

aspartate

GA:

gibberellic acid

GLDH:

glutamate dehydrogenase

Gln:

glutamine

Glu:

glutamate

Gly:

glycine

GS:

glutamine synthetase

LSU:

Rubisco large subunit

PSP:

percentage of senescent shoots

SSU:

Rubisco small subunit

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Author notes

  1. K. Yu

    Present address: College of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, P.R. China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P.R. China

    K. Yu, D. Yu & J. R. Li

  2. Yunnan Baiyao Group Co., Ltd., Kunming, 650032, P.R. China

    Q. L. Fan & J. R. Wei

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  1. K. Yu
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  2. Q. L. Fan
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  4. D. Yu
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Correspondence to J. R. Li.

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Acknowledgments: We thank Prof. Chu-Fu Zhang, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, for his valuable suggestions and critical reading of the manuscript. This work was funded by grants from the Special Foundation of Province-CAS and Province-University Scientific and Technological Cooperation of Yunnan Province (2004YX20) and the Chinese 111 project (B06018).

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Yu, K., Fan, Q.L., Wei, J.R. et al. Nitrogen remobilization in shoots of Paris polyphylla is altered by gibberellic acid application during senescence. Biol Plant 56, 717–723 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-012-0116-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-012-0116-0

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