Superoxide dismutase, catalase and nitrogenase activities of symbiotic Frankia (Alnus incana) in response to different oxygen tensions

Abstract

Alskog, G. and Huss-Danell. K. 1997. Superoxide dismutase. catalase and nitrogenase activities of symbiolic Frankia [Alnus incana) in response to different oxygen Presence and activity of the enzymes superoxide dismula.se (SOD) and catalase were studied in Frankia in symbiosis with .\tnus incana (L.) Moench. Analysis on native PAGE gels indicated that symbiotic Frankia contained an FeSOD and calalase. The activity of the enzymes was in Ihe same range as reported for cultured Frankia. Attempts to characterize SOD by western blots with antisera fi'om Escherichia colt and .\zotobacter vinelandii did not give clear-cut results with the antibodies used, .\lnus incana plants were grown with the root system in 5, 10. 21 or407r O; for up to 6 days. Nitrogenase activity, measured as ..\RA (acetylene reducing acli\ ity) dropped within 3 h when roots were exposed to low or high oxygen. .^1 409f O; ARA was almost completely lost while at 5 and 109; O; ARA decreased lo 69 and 74'/f of the initai value, respectively. Nitrogenase activity recovered al a!l oxygen tensions. Recovery rates resembled the continuous increa.se in AR.A in plants continuosly kept al 2I'7r O-. and suggests that new vesicles with envelopes of appropriate thickness were formed. The ARA measurements confirm results from an earlier study where nitrogenase activity was measured as H^ evolution. There was a tendency for increased SOD and catatase activities in Frankia from rool systems exposed to 40'>r O: for 24 h but nol earlier or later than this. When data from all experimenlal times were pooled. SOD activity increased significantly with increased oxygen tension whereas catala.se activity decreased. Although ARA per plant varied wilh oxygen tension, there was no statistically significant correlation between ARA and SOD or between ARA and calalase. It seems that being linked to nitrogenase activity is only one role of SOD and catalase in this symbiotic Frankia.

Modulation of Frankia alni ACN14a oxidative stress response: activity, expression and phylogeny of catalases

“…Catalatic activity in F. alni under standard culture conditions and after 5 days was shown to be 20‐fold higher than the activity reported for Frankia strain R43 (Tavares et al 2003), and within the same range of values recorded for other Alnus sp. isolated Frankia strains—NPI0136010, NPI01310158 and HFPArI3—under similar culture conditions (Steele and Stowers 1986), and for Frankia vesicle cluster extracts from Alnus incana (Alskog and Huss‐Danell 1997). The fact that the catalatic activity recorded for non‐induced F. alni , i.e.…”

Actinorhizal symbioses and their N2 fixation

“…There was a tendency for increased SOD and catalase activities after 24 h at 40% Og but not earlier or later than this. When data from all experimental times were pooled, SOD activity increased and catalase activity decreased significantly with increased Og tension (Alskog & Huss-Danell, 1997). It is interesting to note that under the same growing conditions a relationship between oxygen tension and the quantity and quality of lipids in the vesicle envelope was seen (Kleemann et al, 1994).…”

“…Ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase and glutathione reductase were found in nodules of Alnus rubra (Dalton et al, 1987), but it was not clear whether the host alone or both host and symbiont together contributed to recorded activities. Frankia vesicle clusters prepared from nodules of Alnus incana showed active SOD and catalase and, based on inhibition experiments, the SOD was characterized as Fe-SOD (Alskog & Huss-Danell, 1997). When nodulated root systems were transferred to and kept under low or high (5 or 40 kPa) Og tension, nitrogenase activity decreased almost completely but recovered in 2 wk.…”

Biology of the Frankia-Alnus maritima subsp. maritima symbiosis

“…The mechanics of the control of gas diffusion in actinorhizal nodules varies with, and is likely the driving force for the diversity in, actinorhizal nodule structure. Because nitrogenase, the enzyme involved in symbiotic nitrogen fixation, is sensitive to oxygen concentration, the mechanism of protection of nitrogenase from oxygen is an area of active research in actinorhizal species (Parsons et al, 1987;Rosendahl and Huss-Danell, 1988;Tjepkema and Murray, 1989;Zeng and Tjepkema, 1994;Alskog and Huss-Danell, 1997;Lundquist, 2000).…”