GC-MS based metabolite profiling implies three interdependent ways of ammonium assimilation in Medicago truncatula...

In symbiotic interaction with legume plants, bacteria termed Rhizobia can fix massive amounts of atmospheric nitrogen which is primarily provided in the form of ammonium to the host plants. Therefore, legume root nodules that house the symbiotic bacteria are ideally suited to study the process of primary ammonium assimilation. Here, we present a GC-MS based metabolite profiling analysis of Medicago truncatula root nodules (induced by the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti) before and after inhibition of glutamine synthetase (GS) by the chemical herbicide phosphinotricine. The primary role of GS in ammonium assimilation was revealed by drastically reduced levels of glutamine in phosphinotricine treated root nodules. In comparison to previous results of increased asparagine synthetase transcript and protein abundances in GS inhibited nodules the metabolic data revealed that decreased amounts of aspartate might preclude taking advantage of this elevated enzymatic activity. A potential role of glutamate dehydrogenase in ammonium assimilation was metabolically indicated 24 and 48 h after GS inhibition. Therefore, nodule ammonium assimilation might in principle involve three interdependent metabolic pathways which are adjusted to control basic nitrogen metabolism.