Effect of exogenous ammonium on glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase, and glutamate dehydrogenase in the root of rice seedling

Root biomass of rice seedlings was increased at lower concentration of exogenous NH ₄ ⁺ , but it was decreased at higher concentration of exogenous NH ₄ ⁺ . The level of free NH ₄ ⁺ in the roots was accumulated gradually with the increase of NH ₄ ⁺ concentration in the nutrient solution. The content of the soluble proteins was essentially constant at higher NH ₄ ⁺ . The activities of glutamine synthetase (GS), NADH-dependent glutamate synthase (NADH-GOGAT), and NADH-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (NADH-GDH) were risen with exogenous NH ₄ ⁺ concentration at the lower NH ₄ ⁺ concentration range. But the activities of GS and NADH-GOGAT were declined, and the level of NADH-GDH activity was kept constant under higher NH ₄ ⁺ concentration. The GS/GDH ratio suggested that NH ₄ ⁺ was assimilated by GS-GOGAT cycle under lower NH ₄ ⁺ concentration, but NADH-GDH was more important for NH ₄ ⁺ assimilation and detoxifying NH ₄ ⁺ to the tissue cells at the higher NH ₄ ⁺ level. According to the growth and the activity changes of these ammonium-assimilating enzymes of rice seedling roots, 10. 0 μg/mL NH ₄ ⁺ -N in nutrient solution was more suitable to the rice growth. Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 3987052), Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province and International Rice Research Institute, P.O. Box. 3217, 1271 Makati City, Philippines. Biography: LI Ze-song(1968-), male, Graduate student.