Biological Synthesis of Amino Acids from Atmospheric Nitrogen

Virtanen, Artturi I.; Laine, T.

doi:10.1038/141748b0

Cited by 54 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…( 63) observed that exchange animation took place in vitro with glutamic or a-ketoglutaric acid when he used enzyme solutions prepared from higher plants. Virtanen and Laine (289) demonstrated that aspartic acid (the only a-amino acid found to be produced during nitrogen fixation by bacteria of legumes) transferred its amino nitrogen to pyruvic acid with formation of alanine in the presence of crushed peas. They (285,286,288,289,290) showed that legume bacteria of peas planted in nitrogen-free sand excreted aspartic acid and its decarboxylation product, /3-alanine, from root nodules.…”

Section: The Róle Of Glutamine In Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical Characteristics and Physiological Rôles of Glutamine.

Archibald¹

1945

Chem. Rev.

122

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Section: The Róle Of Glutamine In Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical Characteristics and Physiological Rôles of Glutamine.

Archibald¹

1945

Chem. Rev.

122

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“…COHEN (10,11,12), however, considers that the transamination reaction is more restricted in its operation than is indicated by the evidence of BRAUNSTEIN and KRITZMAN. The work of VIRTANEN and LANE (67), which ascribes to aspartic acid and to transamination a key position in the nitrogen fixation and metabolism of leguminous plants, has also been criticized by WISON (69). Nevertheless, the work of SCHOENHEIMER and co-workers (44) on animal tissues and the recent application of the mass isotope technique to the study of protein metabolism in plants (24,66) supports the theory that the dicarboxylic acids play a central role in protein metabolism.…”

Section: Amides Directly Incorporated In Proteinmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Soluble Nitrogen Fractions of Potato Tubers; The Amides

Steward

Street

1946

Plant Physiol.

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Of the total nitrogen present in potato tubers, approximately two-thirds is in the form of compounds which are extractable by 70 per cent. alcohol. This paper deals with the nature of these soluble nitrogen compounds and more particularly with the amides. Although the amides are among the simplest substances in the soluble nitrogen fractions, complete account of them can only be rendered after somewhat laborious experiment. Furthermore these relatively simple substances, which are present in but small quantity in the tissue, command a degree of interest which is not overshadowed by the more complex nitrogenous compounds which are present in greater quantity in the cells. Indeed, the behavior of the amide-N fraction emerged as one of the outstanding features of the nitrogen metabolism of potato cells under conditions such that they possess a high degree of metabolic activity and are able to synthesize protein as well as to exhibit many other signs of vital activity-including a renewed ability to absorb and accumulate salts from dilute solutions.Using the potato tuber as experimental material and a technique of controlling those external variables which determine the behavior of the cells, a first broad survey of the biochemistry of the tissue under conditions conducive to salt absorption has been made (49, 50, 51). Attention has been focused upon the inter-relations between salts, aerobic respiration, protein synthesis, and the effect on these several processes of changes in temperature, in oxygen supply, and in the nature and concentration of salts in the external solution. The synthesis of protein from the simpler nitrogen compounds is the predominant feature of the recrudescence of vital activity in these cells, and it has to be recognized that in the ultimate connection between protein synthesis, respiration, and salt absorption there must lie the clue to much that is not yet known about all these processes and, indeed, about the living system.Hitherto the biochemical survey has relied upon indirect evidence drawn from quantitative analysis of a variety of nitrogen fractions; e.g., total nitrogen, soluble nitrogen, and the latter subdivided into amino-nitrogen and amide-nitrogen. From such data it was, however, possible to infer that the soluble nitrogen fraction of potato parenchyma contained certain amides in addition to the amino-acids which were responsible for much of the buffer capacity of the expressed sap at pH 8 to 10. Moreover, the amide groups were of two kinds: the one relatively stable, as in the case of asparagine; 1 This is the fifth of a series of papers dealing with the biochemistry of salt absorp--tion by plants. 2 Temporarily attached to

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“…The form to which N2 was fixed was unknown; oxidation, reduction, direct combination with an organic molecule, or even direct combination with molecular oxygen all were debated as possible biochemical mechanisms of fixation (Fred et al, 1932;Wilson, 1940). A controversy arose over wh ether the key anabolic intermediate of fixation was hydroxylamine (Biom, 1931;Virtanen and Laine, 1938) or, as we know today, ammonia (Kostytschew and Rsyskaltschuk, 1925;Winogradsky, 1930Winogradsky, , 1932. In 1940, Wilson examined the sparse evidence for and against each intermediate and concluded, with considerable qualification, that the most likely candidate was hydroxylamine.…”

Section: Adv Ances Prior To 1940 Methodological Problemsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Consumption of Atmospheric Nitrogen

Benson

1985

Bacteria in Nature

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Biological Synthesis of Amino Acids from Atmospheric Nitrogen

Cited by 54 publications

References 1 publication

Chemical Characteristics and Physiological Rôles of Glutamine.

Chemical Characteristics and Physiological Rôles of Glutamine.

The Soluble Nitrogen Fractions of Potato Tubers; The Amides

Consumption of Atmospheric Nitrogen

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