In the context of the global nitrogen cycle, the importance of inorganic nitrate for the nutrition and growth of marine and freshwater autotrophic phytoplankton has long been recognized. In contrast, the utilization of nitrate by heterotrophic bacteria has historically received less attention because the primary role of these organisms has classically been considered to be the decomposition and mineralization of dissolved and particulate organic nitrogen. In the pre-genome sequence era, it was known that some, but not all, heterotrophic bacteria were capable of growth on nitrate as a sole nitrogen source. However, examination of currently available prokaryotic genome sequences suggests that assimilatory nitrate reductase (Nas) systems are widespread phylogenetically in bacterial and archaeal heterotrophs. Until now, regulation of nitrate assimilation has been mainly studied in cyanobacteria. In contrast, in heterotrophic bacterial strains, the study of nitrate assimilation regulation has been limited to Rhodobacter capsulatus, Klebsiella oxytoca, Azotobacter vinelandii and Bacillus subtilis. In Gram-negative bacteria, the nas genes are subjected to dual control: ammonia repression by the general nitrogen regulatory (Ntr) system and specific nitrate or nitrite induction. The Ntr system is widely distributed in bacteria, whereas the nitrate/nitrite-specific control is variable depending on the organism.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
December 2011
-
Cover Image
Cover Image
- PDF Icon PDF LinkFront Matter
- PDF Icon PDF LinkTable of Contents
Conference Article|
November 21 2011
Bacterial nitrate assimilation: gene distribution and regulation
Víctor M. Luque-Almagro;
Víctor M. Luque-Almagro
*Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Severo Ochoa, 1a planta, Campus de Rabanales, Córdoba, 14071, Spain
Search for other works by this author on:
Andrew J. Gates;
Andrew J. Gates
†Centre for Metalloprotein Spectroscopy and Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
Conrado Moreno-Vivián;
Conrado Moreno-Vivián
*Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Severo Ochoa, 1a planta, Campus de Rabanales, Córdoba, 14071, Spain
Search for other works by this author on:
Stuart J. Ferguson;
Stuart J. Ferguson
‡Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
David J. Richardson;
David J. Richardson
†Centre for Metalloprotein Spectroscopy and Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
M. Dolores Roldán
M. Dolores Roldán
1
*Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Severo Ochoa, 1a planta, Campus de Rabanales, Córdoba, 14071, Spain
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email [email protected]).
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
August 03 2011
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2011 Biochemical Society
2011
Biochem Soc Trans (2011) 39 (6): 1838–1843.
Article history
Received:
August 03 2011
Citation
Víctor M. Luque-Almagro, Andrew J. Gates, Conrado Moreno-Vivián, Stuart J. Ferguson, David J. Richardson, M. Dolores Roldán; Bacterial nitrate assimilation: gene distribution and regulation. Biochem Soc Trans 1 December 2011; 39 (6): 1838–1843. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20110688
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Biochemical Society Member Sign in
Sign InSign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionGet Access To This Article
Get Email Alerts
Open Access for all
We offer compliant routes for all authors from 2025. With library support, there will be no author nor reader charges in 5 journals. Check here |
![]() |