Summary
When ammonium ions are added to a nitrogen fixing culture of Rhodospirillum rubrum, nitrogenase activity decreases due to inactivation of the Fe-protein. We have studied the adenylate and pyridine nucleotide pools during switch-off using the sensitive bioluminescence method. Immediately after the addition of ammonium ions there is a decrease in the ATP pool which is quickly reversed and no change is seen during the switch-off period. The pyridine nucleotide pools also do not change significantly during the switch-off. Consequently we conclude that changes in the pools studied were not the signal promoting inactivation of the Fe-protein.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Alef K, Arp D J and Zumft W G 1981 Nitrogensae switch-off by ammonia in Rhodopseudomonas palustris: Loss under nitrogen deficiency and independence from adenylyation state of glutamine synthetase. Arch. Microbiol. 130, 138–142.
Arp D J and Zumft W G 1980 L-Methionine-SR-Sulfoximine as a probe for the role of glutamine synthetase in nitrogenase switch-off by ammonia and glutamine in Rhodopseudomonaspalustris. Arch. Microbiol. 134, 17–22.
Brown C M and Herbert R A 1977 Ammonia assimilation in members of the Rhodospirillaceae. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 1, 43–46.
Carithers R P, Yoch D C and Arnon D I 1979 Two forms of nitrogenase from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum. J. Bacteriol. 137, 779–789.
Falk G, Johansson B C and Nordlund S 1981 The role of glutamine synthetase in the regulation of nitrogenase activty (‘switch-off effect’) in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Arch. Microbiol. 132, 251–253.
Gest H, Kamen M D and Bregoff H M 1950 Studies on the metabolism of photosynthetic bacteria. J. Biol. Chem. 182, 155–170.
Hillmer P and Fahlbusch K 1979 Evidence for an involvement of glutamine synthetase in regulation of nitrogenase activity in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata. Arch. Microbiol. 112, 213–218.
Johansson B C, Nordlund S and Baltscheffsky H 1983 Nitrogen fixation and ammonia assimilation. In The Phototrophic Bacteria. Ed. J G Ormerod. pp 120–145, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
Jones B L and Monty K J 1979 Glutamine as a feed back inhibitor of the Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides nitrogenase system. J. Bacteriol. 139, 1007–1013.
Kanemoto R H and Ludden P W 1984 Effect of ammonia, darkness and phenazine methosulfate on whole-cell nitrogenase activity and Fe protein modification in Rhodospirillum rubrum. J. Bacteriol. 158, 713–720.
London J and Knight M 1966 Concentrations of nicotinamide nucleotide coenzymes in micro-organisms. J. Gen. Microbiol. 44, 241–254.
Lowry O H, Rosebrough N J, Farr A L and Randall R J 1951 Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J. Biol. Chem. 193, 265–275.
Ludden P W and Burris R H 1976 Activating factor for the iron protein of nitrogenase from Rhodospirillum rubrum. Science 194, 424–426.
Ludden P W and Burris R H 1978 Purification and properties of nitrogenase from Rhodospirillum rubrum and evidence for phosphate, ribose and an adenine-like unit covalentiy bound to the iron protein. Biochem. J. 175, 251–259.
Ludden P W, Murrel S A, Pope M, Manemoto R, Dowling T E, Saari L L and Triplett E 1984 Regulation of nitrogen fixation in photosynthetic bacteria. In Advances in Nitrogen Research. Eds. C Veeger and W E Newton, pp 181–187 Martinus Nijhoff/Dr W Junk Publishers, The Hague and Pudoc Wageningen.
Nagatani H, Shimizu M and Valentine R C 1971 The mechanism of ammonia assimilation in nitrogen fixing bacteria. Arch. Miccrobiol. 79, 164–175.
Neilson A H and Nordlund S 1975 Regulation of nitrogenase synthesis in intact cells of Rhodospirillum rubrum: Inactivation of nitrogen fixation by ammonia, L-glutamine and L-asparagine. J. Gen. Microbiol. 91, 53–62.
Nordlund S and Eklund R 1979 Nitrogen fixation in Rhodospirillum rubrum - the switch-off effect. Third International Symposium on Photosynthetic Procaryotes, Oxford, England, abstract no B47.
Nordlund S and Eriksson U 1979 Nitrogenase from Rhodospirillum rubrum: relation between the ‘switch-off’ effect and the membrane component, hydrogen production and acetylene reduction with different ratios of the nitrogenase components. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 547, 429–437.
Nordlund S, Eriksson U and Baltscheffsky H 1977 Necessity of a membrane component for nitrogenase activity in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 462, 187–195.
Ohmori M and Hattori A 1978 Transient change in the ATP pool of Anabaena cylindrica associated with ammonia assimilation. Arch. Microbiol. 117, 17–20.
Ormerod J G, Ormerod K S and Gest H 1961 Light-dependent utilization of organic compounds and photo-production of molecular hydrogen by photosynthetic bacterial; relationships with nitrogen metbolism. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 94, 449–463.
Shiek H-J 1971 Substrate and light dependent fixation of molecular nitrogen in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Arch. Microbiol. 75, 89–101.
Sweet W J and Burris R H 1981 Inhibition of nitrogenase activity by \({\rm NH}_{4}^{+}\) in Rhodospirillum rubrum. J. Bacteriol. 145, 824–831.
Sweet W J and Burris R H 1982 Effects of in vivo treatments on the activity of nitrogenase from Rhodospirillum rubrum. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 680, 17–21.
Yelton M M and Yock D C 1981 Nitrogen metabolism in Rhodospirillum rubrum: characterization of glutamate synthase. J. Gen. Microbiol. 123, 335–342.
Yock D C 1980 Regulation of nitrogenase A and R concentrations in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata by glutamine synthetase. Biochem. J. 187, 273–276.
Yoch D C and Cantu M 1980 Changes in the regulatory form of Rhodospirillum rubrum nitrogenase as influenced by nutritional and environmental factors. J. Bacteriol. 142, 899–907.
Zumft W G and Castillo F 1978 Regulatory properties of the nitrogenase from Rhodospirillum palustri. Arch. Microbiol. 117, 55–60.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1986 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Nordlund, S., Höglund, L. (1986). Studies of the adenylate and pyridine nucleotide pools during nitrogenase ‘switch-off’ in Rhodospirillum rubrum . In: Skinner, F.A., Uomala, P. (eds) Nitrogen Fixation with Non-Legumes. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 21. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4378-0_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4378-0_15
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8446-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-4378-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive