Abstract
The results of the experiments discussed here present changes in the chemical composition of xylem sap of tomato seedlings cultivated in hydroponics on media containing 5 mmol HCO3 − and an N-source given as NO3 −, NH4 + or these two forms in different proportions. The occurrence of free NH4 + in the xylem sap of NH4 +-seedlings and in NO3 −-seedlings indicates that the process of N-assimilation was not only confined to roots. The application of HCO3 − to the medium effected a decrease in the concentration of NH4 + in the xylem sap of NH4 +-seedlings, having no effect on changes in the concentration of NO3 − or NH4 + in NO3 −-seedlings. Malate, citrate, fumarate, and succinate were identified in the xylem sap. The concentration of carboxylates in NO3 −-seedlings exceeded by about 50% that recorded in NH4 +-seedlings. The highest concentration of malate constituting from 80% to 93.5% of this fraction, was determined in this group of compounds. The enrichment of the medium with HCO3 − ions induced an increase in the content of carboxylates, chiefly of malate. In these experimental conditions an increase in the malate concentration in the xylem sap of NO3 − and NH4 +-seedlings reached relative values of 100% and 36%, respectively. The total concentration of amides and amino acids was about 2.6 times higher in the xylem sap of NH4 +-seedlings than in NO3 −-seedlings. Amide glutamine was the main component of this fraction in xylem sap and its total concentration was about 3.3 times higher in NH4 +-seedlings than that determined in NO3 −-seedlings. Glutamine, glutamate, aspargine, and aspartate constituted from 69% to 77% of this fraction. The concentration of the remaining amino acids varied from 0.6% to 7%. The enrichment of the medium with HCO3 − ions also effected an increase in the concentration of amides and amino acids in the xylem sap by about 17% and 56% in the case of NO3 − and NH4 +-seedlings, respectively, in comparison with the respective controls (without HCO3 −).
Abbreviations: DAG – days after germination; DIC – dissolved inorganic carbon; GOGAT – glutamine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase; GS – glutamine synthetase; PAR – photosynthetically active radiation; PEPc – phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alcántara E, Romera F J, Ca?ete M and de la Guardia M D 2000 Effects of bicarbonate and iron supply on Fe(III) reducing capa-city of roots and leaf chlorosis of the susceptible peach rootstock 'Nemaguard'. J. Plant Nutr. 23, 1607–1617.
Arnozis P A, Nelemans J A and Findenegg G R 1988 Phospho-enolpyruvate carboxylase activity in plants grown with either NO Absorption of HCO –3 or NH –4 as inorganic nitrogen source. J. Plant Physiol. 132, 23–27.
Ben-Zioni A, Vaadia Y and Lips S H 1971 Nitrate uptake by roots as regulated by nitrate reduction products of the shoots. Physiol. Plant 24, 288–290.
Bialczyk J and Lechowski Z 1992. Absorption of HCO –3 by roots and its effect on carbon metabolism of tomato. J. Plant Nutr. 15, 293–312.
Bialczyk J and Lechowski, Z 1995 Chemical composition of xylem-sap of tomato grown on bicarbonate containing medium. J. Plant Nutr. 18, 2005–2021.
Bialczyk J, Lechowski Z and Libik A 1994 Growth of tomato seed-lings under different HCO –3 concentrations in the medium concentrations in the medium. J. Plant Nutr. 17, 801–816.
Bialczyk J, Lechowski Z and Libik A 2004 Early vegetative growth of tomato plants in media containing nitrogen source as ni-trate, ammonium or various nitrate-ammonium mixtures with bicarbonate addition. J. Plant Nutr. 27, (in press).
Cramer M D and Lips S H 1995 Enriched rizosphere CO 2 concen-trations can ameliorate the influence of salinity on hydroponic-ally grown tomato seedlings. Physiol. Plant 94, 425–432.
Cramer M D, Lewis O A M and Lips S H 1993 Inorganic carbon fixation and metabolism in maize roots as affected by nitrate and ammonium nutrition. Physiol. Plant 89, 632–639.
Cramer M D and Richards M B 1999 The effect of rizosphere dis-solved inorganic carbon on the growth of tomato seedlings. J. Exp. Bot. 50, 79–87.
Cramer M D, Savidov N A and Lips S H 1996 The influence of enriched rhizosphere CO 2 on N uptake and metabolism in wild-type and NR-deficient barley plants. Physiol. Plant 97, 47–54.
Gao Z F and Lips S H 1997 Effects of increasing carbon supply to roots on net nitrate uptake and assimilation in tomato seedlings. Physiol.Plant. 101, 206–212.
Glass A D M and Siddiqi M Y 1995 Nitrogen absorption by plant roots, In Nitrogen Nutrition in Higher Plants. Eds H S Srivast-awa and R P Singh. pp. 21–56. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
Isopp H, Frehner M, Almeida J P F, Blum H, Daepp M, Hartwig U A, Luscher A, Suter D and Nösberger J 2000 Nitrogen plays a major role in leaves when source-sink relations change: C and N metabolism in Lolium perenne growing under free air CO 2 enrichment. Austr. J. Plant Physiol. 27, 851–858.
Hibberd J M and Quick W P 2002 Characteristics of C 4 photosyn-thesis in steam and petioles of C 3 flowering plants. Nature 415, 451–454.
Kafkafi U and Ganmore-Neumann R 1997 Ammonium in plant tissue: Real or artefact? J. Plant Nutr. 20, 107–118.
Larsson M, Larsson C M, Whitford P N and Clarkson D T 1989 Influence of osmotic stress on nitrate reductase activity in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and the role of abscisic acid. J. Exp. Bot. 40, 1265–1271.
Lucena J J 2000 Effects of bicarbonate, nitrate and other environ-mental factors on iron deficiency chlorosis. A review. J. Plant Nutr. 23, 1591–1606.
McClure P R, Kochian L V, Spánswick R M and Shaff J E 1990 Evidence for cotransport of nitrate and protons in maize roots. I. Effects of nitrate on the membrane potential. Plant Physiol. 93, 281–289.
Peiter E, Yan F and Schubert S 2001 Lime-induced growth depres-sion in Lupinus species: Are soil pH and bicarbonate involved? J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 164, 165–172.
Qi J, Marshall J D and Mattson K G 1994 High soil carbon dioxide concentration inhibit root respiration of Douglas fir. New Phytol. 128, 435–442.
Raven J A 1985 Regulation of pH and generation of osmolarity in vascular plants: A cost-benefit analysis in relation to efficiency of use of energy, nitrogen and water. New Phytol. 101, 25–77.
Raven J A and Smith F A 1976 Nitrogen assimilation and transport in vascular land plants in relation to intracellular pH regulation. New Phytol. 76, 205–212.
Schobert C and Komor E 1992 Transport of nitrate and ammonium into the phloem and the xylem of Ricinus communis seedlings. J. Plant Physiol. 140, 306–309.
Siddiqi M Y, Molhotra B, Min X and Glass A D M 2002 Effects of ammonium and inorganic carbon enrichment on growth and yield of a hydroponic tomato crop. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 165, 191–197.
Schweizer P and Erismann K H 1985 Effect of nitrate and am-monium nutrition of non-nodulated Phaseolus vulgaris L. on phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and pyruvate kinase activity. Plant Physiol. 78, 455–458.
Tatar E, Michucz V G, Kmethy B, Zaray G and Fodor F 2000 Determination of organic acids and their role in nickel transport within cucumber plants. Microchem. J. 67, 73–81.
Thibaud J B, Dawidian, J C, Sentenec H, Soler A and Grignon C 1988 H +cotransports in corn roots as related to the surphace pH shift induced by active H +excretion. Plant Physiol. 88, 1469–1473.
Touraine B, Clarkson D T and Muller B 1994 Regulation of nitrate uptake at whole plant level, In A Whole Plant Perspective on Carbon–Nitrogen Interactions. Eds J Roy and Garnier. pp. 11–30. SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague.
Van der Merwe C A and Cramer M D 2000 Effect of enriched rizosphere carbon dioxide on nitrate and ammonium uptake in hydroponically grown tomato plants. Plant Soil 221, 5–11.
Vapaavuori E M and Pelkonen P 1985 HCO –3 uptake through the roots and its effect on the productivity of willow cuttings. Plant Cell Environ. 8, 531–544.
Vuorinen A H and Kaiser W M 1997 Dark CO 2 fixation by roots of willow and barley in media with a high level of inorganic carbon. J. Plant Physiol. 151, 405–408.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bialczyk, J., Lechowski, Z. & Dziga, D. Composition of the xylem sap of tomato seedlings cultivated on media with HCO3 − and nitrogen source as NO3 − or NH4 + . Plant and Soil 263, 265–272 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:PLSO.0000047739.11698.ca
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:PLSO.0000047739.11698.ca