Nitrogen Acquisition and Assimilation in Higher Plants

Nitrogen is an essential element for plant growth. During the green revolution nitrogenfertilisation was responsible for spectacular yield increases. At present yield is balanced with commitments towards the environment and sustainable agriculture. For agro-biotechnology comprehensive knowledge of plant functioning is needed. Yield improvement and accumulation of essential nitrogen compounds is relying on selection and gene technologies. Research on the uptake, acquisition and assimilation of nitrogen, as well as the synthesis and storage of reserve and defence N-compounds, therefore, is essential. The third volume in the Plant Ecophysiology series integrates functional and molecular physiology with ecophysiological and sustainable agricultural approaches to get a better understanding of the regulation and the impact of environmental and stress signals on nitrogen acquisition and assimilation. The book is of interest for advanced students and junior researchers and supplies comprehensive information for scientists working in the field of nitrogen metabolism and readers interested in sustainable development.

Contents Contributors ix Preface xi 1. Nitrate uptake by roots - transporters and root development Bruno Touraine 1 2. Metabolic regulation of ammonium uptake and assimilation Tomoyuki Yamaya and Ann Oaks 35 3. Atmospheric nitrogen - pollutant or fertiliser? Lucy J. Sheppard and Håkan Wallander 65 4. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation Javier Ramos and Ton Bisseling 99 5. Nitrogen metabolism and plant adaptation to the environment - the scope for process-based modelling Marcel van Oijen and Peter Levy 133 6. Light regulation of nitrate uptake, assimilation and metabolism Cathrine Lillo 149 7. Modulation of nitrate reduction - environmental and internal factors involved Werner M. Kaiser, Elisabeth Planchet, Maria Stoimenova and Matasoshi Sonoda 185 8. Integrated molecular analysis of the polyamine pathway in abiotic stress signalling Alejandro Ferrando, Pedro Carrasco, Juan Cruz Cuevas, Teresa Altabella and Antonio F. Tiburcio 207 9. Significance of secondary nitrogen metabolites for food quality Silvia Haneklaus and Ewald Schnug 231 10. Biotechnology of nitrogen acquisition in rice -implications for food security Dev T. Britto and Herbert J. Kronzucker 261 Index 283 ix Contributors Teresa Altabella Laboratori de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain Ton Bisseling Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wageningen, Dreijenlaan 3,6703 HA Wageningen, The Netherlands Dev T. Britto Division of Life Sciences, Department of Botany, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario, MiC 1A4 Canada Pedro Carrasco Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universitad de Valencia, Dr. Moliner 50 Burjassot,46100 Valencia, Spain Juan Cruz Cuevas Laboratori de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain Alejandro Ferrando Laboratori de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain Silvia Haneklaus Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL), Bundesallee 50, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany Werner M. Kaiser Julius von Sachs Institute of Biosciences, University of Würzburg, Julius von Sachs Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany Herbert J. Kronzucker Division of Life Sciences, Department of Botany, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario, MiC 1A4 Canada Peter Levy CEH - Edinburgh, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, Scotland Cathrine Lillo School of Technology and Science, Stavanger University College, Box 8002, 4068 Stavanger, Norway x Ann Oaks Suite 1604, 685 Woolwich Street, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 8M6, Canada Elisabeth Planchet Julius von Sachs Institute of Biosciences, University of Würzburg, Julius von Sachs Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany Javier Ramos Departamento de Nutricíon Vegetal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Apdo 202, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain Ewald Schnug Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL), Bundesallee 50, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany Lucy J. Sheppard CEH - Edinburgh, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, Scotland Matasoshi Sonoda Julius von Sachs Institute of Biosciences, University of Würzburg, Julius von Sachs Platz 2, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany Maria Stoimenova Julius von Sachs Institute of Biosciences, University of