Nitrate is reported to improve tolerance of plants towards oxygen deficiency imposed by waterlogging of the root system, but little is known of the mechanism underlying the phenomenon. We studied the metabolism of nitrate in roots under hypoxia, using soybean plants growing in a hydroponic system after suspending aeration and covering the surface of the nutrient solution with mineral oil. Nitrate depletion from the medium was greater under hypoxia than normoxia, but in the presence of chloramphenicol, consumption under hypoxia was significantly reduced. Nitrite accumulated in the medium under hypoxia and this was partially eliminated by chloramphenicol. Nitrate consumption sensitive to chloramphenicol was attributed to bacterial activity. Endogenous root nitrate was strongly reduced under hypoxia indicating mobilization. Although the transport of nitrate to the shoot via the xylem was also reduced under hypoxia, the severity of this reduction was dependent on the concentration of nitrate in the medium, suggesting that at least some of the nitrate in the xylem came from the medium. Root nitrate reductase was also strongly reduced under hypoxia, but recovered rapidly on return to normoxia. Overall, the data are consistent with two main metabolic fates for chloramphenicolinsensitive nitrate depletion under hypoxia: the reduction of some nitrate to nitrite (despite the reduced nitrate reductase activity) followed by its release to the medium (at least one-third of the nitrate consumed followed this route), and the transport of nitrate to the shoot. Nevertheless, it is highly unlikely that these metabolic routes account for all the nitrate consumed.Key words: Glycine max, hypoxia, nitrate reductase, nitrite, waterlogging. absorção e metabolismo do nitrato em raízes de soja sob deficiência de oxigênio. É conhecido que o nitrato melhora a tolerância de plantas à deficiência de oxigênio provocada pela inundação do sistema radicular. Porém, pouco se sabe sobre as causas deste fenômeno. Realizamos um estudo do metabolismo do nitrato em raízes de soja sob hipóxia, empregando plantas cultivadas em sistema hidropônico, após suspender a aeração e cobrir a superfície da solução nutritiva com óleo mineral. O consumo de nitrato no meio foi maior sob hipóxia do que normóxia. Porém, na presença de cloranfenicol o consumo em hipóxia foi reduzido de forma significativa. Houve acúmulo do nitrito no meio sob hipóxia e este acúmulo foi parcialmente eliminado por cloranfenicol. A redução do consumo de nitrato na presença de cloranfenicol foi atribuída à atividade bacteriana. O nitrato endógeno da raiz foi bastante reduzido sob hipóxia, indicando mobilização do mesmo. Apesar do transporte do nitrato até a parte aérea, via xilema, ter sido também reduzido sob hipóxia, a intensidade dessa redução foi dependente da concentração de nitrato no meio, o que indica que pelo menos uma porção do nitrato encontrado no xilema teve origem no meio. A atividade da redutase do nitrato da raiz também foi fortemente reduzida sob hipóxia, porém rec...

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Drought tolerance is a major trait for the selection of citrus rootstocks in breeding programs. PEG 4000 solution at 110 g L-1 (osmotic potential of -376 kPa) was used to evaluate biometric, physiological, and biochemical responses of grafted citrus plants in pots. ‘Valencia’ sweet orange plants grafted onto ‘Rangpur’ lime (drought tolerant) rootstock showed greater plant growth compared to that on ‘Swingle’ citrumelo (drought sensitive) rootstock, regardless of PEG-induced stress; however, biological responses to PEG were similar on both rootstocks. Plant dry weight, gas exchange, and leaf and root starch concentrations were reduced by PEG. Water potential at 2:00 p.m. and Fe and Mn leaf concentrations increased with severe phytotoxic symptoms. The results corroborate the limitation of PEG for assessing drought tolerance of citrus plants at the whole plant level.

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