Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Experiment Videos

Nitrate Reductase in Barley Roots under Sterile, Low Oxygen Conditions.

D G Blevins1, R H Lowe, L Staples

  • 1Department of Agronomy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506.

Plant Physiology
|March 1, 1976
PubMed
Summary

Low oxygen conditions can increase nitrate reductase activity in barley roots, but this may be due to bacterial contamination rather than the plant itself.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Microencapsulated sodium nitrite is a humane solution for domestic grower pig depopulation during an emergency animal disease response.

Australian veterinary journal·2025
Same author

Transdiagnostic Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy in Canada: An open trial comparing results of a specialized online clinic and nonspecialized community clinics.

Journal of anxiety disorders·2016
Same author

Subcellular organization of ureide biogenesis from glycolytic intermediates and ammonium in nitrogen-fixing soybean nodules.

Planta·2013
Same author

Formula room; experiment in terminal sterilization.

Modern hospital·2010
Same author

Increasing use of the female condom through video instruction.

Perceptual and motor skills·1999
Same author

Proposed physiologic functions of boron in plants pertinent to animal and human metabolism.

Environmental health perspectives·1994
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Area of Science:

  • Plant Physiology
  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Nitrate reductase activity is crucial for plant nitrogen assimilation.
  • Previous studies reported high nitrate reductase activity in barley roots under low oxygen.
  • The specific form and cause of this activity were not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cause of elevated nitrate reductase activity in barley roots under low oxygen conditions.
  • To differentiate between plant-derived and microbial nitrate reductase activity.
  • To characterize the cofactor specificity of the observed nitrate reductase activity.

Main Methods:

  • Barley (Hordeum vulgare cv. Compana) was grown under low oxygen and ambient oxygen conditions.
  • Root samples were analyzed for nitrate reductase activity (EC 1.9.6.1.).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Experiments were conducted under both sterile and non-sterile conditions to assess microbial influence.

    • Main Results:

    • High nitrate reductase activity (up to 11 µmoles nitrite/hour/gram fresh weight) was observed in barley roots grown under low oxygen.
    • Roots grown under sterile, low oxygen conditions did not exhibit the same high levels of activity.
    • The nitrate reductase activity found was not specific for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, unlike typical plant assimilatory nitrate reductase (EC 1.6.6.1.).

    Conclusions:

    • The elevated nitrate reductase activity in barley roots under low oxygen is likely caused by bacterial contamination.
    • This finding suggests that previously reported particulate, reduced viologen-utilizing nitrate reductase may be of microbial origin.
    • The study highlights the importance of considering microbial interactions in plant physiological studies.