Reorganization of the alternative pathways of the Arabidopsis respiratory chain by nitrogen supply: opposing effects of ammonium and nitrate

The mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system in plants possesses a variety of alternative pathways that decrease respiratory ATP production. These alternative pathways are mediated by three classes of bypass proteins: the type II NAD(P) H dehydrogenases (which circumvent complex I of the electron transport chain), the alternative oxidases (AOXs; which circumvent complexes III and IV) and the uncoupling proteins ( which circumvent ATP synthase). We have monitored the expression of all genes encoding respiratory bypass proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana growing with different sources of inorganic nitrogen (N). Resupply of nitrate (NO3-) to N-limited seedling cultures caused a decrease in the transcript abundance of several type II NAD(P) H dehydrogenase and AOX genes, while resupply of ammonium (NH4+) led to broad increases in expression in the same gene families. Similar results were observed upon switching between nitrate and ammonium in the absence of N stress. Nitrate signalling was found to be mediated primarily by the nitrate ion itself, whereas ammonium regulation was dependent upon assimilation and affected by changes in apoplastic pH. Corresponding alterations in alternative respiratory pathway capacities were apparent in seedlings supplied with either nitrate or ammonium as an N source and in mitochondria purified from the seedlings. Specifically, AOX capacity and protein abundance, as well as calcium-dependent external NADH oxidation, were substantially elevated after growth on ammonium. The increased capacity of respiratory bypass pathways after switching from nitrate to ammonium was correlated to an overall respiratory increase.