Regulation of the inducible nitrate reductase isoform from soybeans

The activity of the pH 7.5 NADH-linked nitrate reductase isoform from soybeans is termed inducible. Activity can be observed only in seedlings which have been supplied nitrate. Steady-state levels of mRNA for this isoform also show an absolute requirement for nitrate. Nitrate reductase specific mRNA can be observed within 2 h after nitrate treatment. Levels peaked 48 h after nitrate treatment, while the addition of glutamine to nitrate diminished amounts of nitrate reductase specific mRNA. Using nuclear runoff transcription assays, we have shown that one level of control of nitrate reductase synthesis is transcriptional.