Phosphorylation by MPK6: a conserved transcriptional modification mediates nitrate reductase activation and NO production?

Plant Signal Behav. 2011 Jun;6(6):889-91. doi: 10.4161/psb.6.6.15308. Epub 2011 Jun 1.

Abstract

Nitrate reductase is a central enzyme of nitrogen assimilation in plants. In a recent work, we have revealed MPK6 could phosphorylate Arabidopsis NIA2 at the serine 627 in hinge 2 region, this phosporylation may represent a rapid activation mechnism when plant need excessive nitrate reduction. Interestingly, all eukaryotic NRs have conserved docking sequence in their FAD domains, and many plant NR proteins have the conserved MAPK phosphorylation site. Those results indicated the MAPK cascades, the conserved signaling pathway also involved in lateral root development, mediated of NR phosporylation and NO generation. We noticed that the phosphorylation of S627 residue by MPK6 have a specially influence on the NO generation activity of NIA2. Although no homology of mammalian NOS has been identified in plants, NR may still share a similar regulation mechanism with mammalian NOS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nitrate Reductase / chemistry
  • Nitrate Reductase / metabolism*
  • Nitric Oxide / biosynthesis*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Transcription, Genetic*

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Nitrate Reductase
  • MPK6 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases