Journal
ANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY
Volume 145, Issue 1, Pages 25-40Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7348.2004.tb00356.x
Keywords
nitrogen assimilation; nitrogen use efficiency; nitrate reductase; nitrite reductase; glutamine synthetase; glutamate synthase; genetic manipulation; crop yield
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The literature on the relations between plant nitrogen (N) assimilation enzymes and plant/crop N assimilation, growth and yield is reviewed to assess if genetic manipulation of the activities of N assimilation enzymes can result in increased yield and/or increased N use efficiency. The available data indicate that (1) levels of N assimilation enzymes do not limit primary N assimilation and hence yield; (11) root or shoot nitrate assimilation can have advantages under specific environmental conditions; (111) for cereals, cytosolic glutamine synthetase (GS1) is a key enzyme in the mobilisation of N from senescing leaves and its activity in senescing leaves is positively related to yield; and (IV) for rice (Oryza sativa), NADH-glutamate synthase (NADH-GOGAT) is important in the utilisation of N in grain filling and its activity in developing grains is positively related to yield. In our opinion, selection of plants, from either a genetically manipulated population or genetic resources, with expression of nitrate reductase/nitrite reductase primarily in the root or shoot should increase plant/crop growth and hence yield under specific environmental conditions. In addition for cereals the selection of plants with high GS1 in senescing leaves and in some cases high NADH-GOGAT in developing grains could help maximise the retrieval of plant N in seeds.
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