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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Measuring Nitrite and Nitrate, Metabolites in the Nitric Oxide Pathway, in Biological Materials using the Chemiluminescence Method
Published on: December 25, 2016
Nitrite reduces cytoplasmic acidosis under anoxia
I G L Libourel1, P M van Bodegom, M D Fricker
1Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom.
Nitrate improves cytoplasmic pH in maize roots during anoxia, but nitrite, not nitrate, is likely responsible for this beneficial effect. Further research should focus on nitrite
Area of Science:
- Plant Physiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Anoxia, a state of oxygen deprivation, can lead to cytoplasmic acidification in plants.
- Nitrate is often associated with improved plant tolerance to anoxic stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of nitrate in mitigating cytoplasmic acidification in maize roots under anoxia.
- To determine the specific mechanism by which nitrate exerts its ameliorating effect.
Main Methods:
- In vivo (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure cytoplasmic and vacuolar pH.
- High-performance liquid chromatography, (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gas chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze released ions and metabolites.
Main Results:
- Nitrate conferred a beneficial effect on cytoplasmic pH regulation during anoxia in maize root segments.
- This effect occurred despite limited nitrate metabolism and modest changes in released metabolites, including fermentation products.
- Exposure to nitrite during anoxia mimicked the beneficial pH-regulating effect of nitrate.
Conclusions:
- Nitrate itself may not be directly responsible for the improved pH regulation under anoxia.
- Nitrite, rather than nitrate, is likely the key factor mediating the beneficial effects on cytoplasmic pH.
- Future research should prioritize investigating the role of nitrite in nitrate-induced flooding tolerance.
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