title: Sucrose mimics the light induction of Arabidopsis nitrate reductase gene transcription.
abstract: Nitrate reductase, the first enzyme in nitrate assimilation, is located at the crossroad of two energy-consuming pathways: nitrate assimilation and carbon fixation. Light, which regulates the expression of many higher-plant carbon fixation genes, also regulates nitrate reductase gene expression. Located in the cytosol, nitrate reductase obtains its reductant not from photosynthesis but from carbohydrate catabolism. This relationship prompted us to investigate the indirect role that light might play, via photosynthesis, in the regulation of nitrate reductase gene expression. We show that sucrose can replace light in eliciting an increase of nitrate reductase mRNA accumulation in dark-adapted green Arabidopsis plants. We show further that sucrose alone is sufficient for the full expression of nitrate reductase genes in etiolated Arabidopsis plants. Finally, using a reporter gene, we show that a 2.7-kilobase region of 5' flanking sequence of the nitrate reductase gene is sufficient to confer the light or the sucrose response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Acedo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cristinsin
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Conkling
mesh_terms: D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008027:Light; D050901:Nitrate Reductase; D009565:Nitrate Reductases / Q000235:genetics*; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase / Q000235:genetics; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013395:Sucrose; D009565:Nitrate Reductases; D050901:Nitrate Reductase; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase