title: Glutamine synthetase in legumes: recent advances in enzyme structure and functional genomics.
abstract: Glutamine synthetase (GS) is the key enzyme involved in the assimilation of ammonia derived either from nitrate reduction, N(2) fixation, photorespiration or asparagine breakdown. A small gene family is encoding for different cytosolic (GS1) or plastidic (GS2) isoforms in legumes. We summarize here the recent advances carried out concerning the quaternary structure of GS, as well as the functional relationship existing between GS2 and processes such as nodulation, photorespiration and water stress, in this latter case by means of proline production. Functional genomic analysis using GS2-minus mutant reveals the key role of GS2 in the metabolic control of the plants and, more particularly, in carbon metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vegetal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, Apartado 1203, Sevilla 41071, Spain.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Betti
authors.affiliation: Department of Vegetal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, Apartado 1203, Sevilla 41071, Spain.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Calderón
authors.affiliation: Department of Vegetal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, Apartado 1203, Sevilla 41071, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pérez-Delgado
authors.affiliation: Department of Vegetal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, Apartado 1203, Sevilla 41071, Spain.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Credali
authors.affiliation: Department of Vegetal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, Apartado 1203, Sevilla 41071, Spain.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Estivill
authors.affiliation: Department of Vegetal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, Apartado 1203, Sevilla 41071, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galván
authors.affiliation: Department of Vegetal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, Apartado 1203, Sevilla 41071, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.affiliation: Department of Vegetal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Seville, Apartado 1203, Sevilla 41071, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Márquez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000201:enzymology*; D017343:Genes, Plant; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018087:Plastids / Q000201:enzymology; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase