Localization of enzymes of assimilatory sulfate reduction in pea roots

The localization of enzymes of assimilatory sulfate reduction was examined in roots of 5-d-old pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings. During an 8-h period, roots of intact plants incorporated more label from (35)SO 4 (2-) in the nutrient solution into the amino-acid and protein fractions than shoots. Excised roots and roots of intact plants assimilated comparable amounts of radioactivity from (35)SO 4 (2-) into the amino-acid and protein fractions during a 1-h period, demonstrating that roots of pea seedlings at this stage of development were not completely dependent on the shoots for reduced sulfur compounds. Indeed, these roots contained activities of ATP-sulfurylase (EC 2.7.7.4), adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate sulfotransferase, sulfite reductase (EC 1.8.7.1) and O-acetyl-L-serine sulfhydrylase (EC 4.2.99.8) at levels of 50, 30, 120 and 100%, respectively, of that in shoots. Most of the extractable activity of adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate sulfotransferase was detected in the first centimeter of the root tip. Using sucrose density gradients for organelle separation from this part of the root showed that almost 40% of the activity of ATP-sulfurylase, adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate sulfotransferase and sulfite reductase banded with the marker enzyme for proplastids, whereas only approximately 7% of O-acetyl-L-serine sulfhydrylase activity was detected in these fractions. Because their distributions on the gradients were very similar to that of nitrite reductase, a proplastid enzyme, it is concluded that ATP-sulfurylase, adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate sulfotransferase and sulfite reductase are also exclusively or almost exclusively localized in the proplastids of pea roots. O-Acetyl-L-serine sulfhydrylase is predominantly present in the cytoplasm.