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Asparaginase catalyzes the degradation of L-asparagine to L-aspartic acid and ammonia, and is implicated in the catabolism of transported asparagine in sink tissues of higher plants. The Arabidopsis genome includes two genes, ASPGA1 and ASPGB1, belonging to distinct asparaginase subfamilies. Conditions of severe nitrogen limitation resulted in a slight decrease in seed size in wild-type Arabidopsis. However, this response was not observed in a homozygous T-DNA insertion mutant where ASPG genes had been inactivated. Under nitrogen-sufficient conditions, the ASPG mutant had elevated levels of free asparagine in mature seed. This phenotype was observed exclusively under conditions of low illumination, when a low ratio of carbon to nitrogen was translocated to the seed. Mutants deficient in one or both asparaginases were more sensitive than wild-type to inhibition of primary root elongation and root hair emergence by L-asparagine as a single nitrogen source. This enhanced inhibition was associated with increased accumulation of asparagine in the root of the double aspga1-1/-b1-1 mutant. This indicates that inhibition of root growth is likely elicited by asparagine itself or an asparagine-derived metabolite, other than the products of asparaginase, aspartic acid or ammonia. During germination, a fusion between the ASPGA1 promoter and beta-glucuronidase was expressed in endosperm cells starting at the micropylar end. Expression was initially high throughout the root and hypocotyl, but became restricted to the root tip after three days, which may indicate a transition to nitrogen-heterotrophic growth.

The relationship between asparagine metabolism and protein concentration was investigated in soybean seed. Phenotyping of a population of recombinant inbred lines adapted to Illinois confirmed a positive correlation between free asparagine levels in developing seeds and protein concentration at maturity. Analysis of a second population of recombinant inbred lines adapted to Ontario associated the elevated free asparagine trait with two of four quantitative trait loci determining population variation for protein concentration, including a major one on chromosome 20 (linkage group I) which has been reported in multiple populations. In the seed coat, levels of asparagine synthetase were high at 50 mg and progressively declined until 150 mg seed weight, suggesting that nitrogenous assimilates are pre-conditioned at early developmental stages to enable a high concentration of asparagine in the embryo. The levels of asparaginase B1 showed an opposite pattern, being low at 50 mg and progressively increased until 150 mg, coinciding with an active phase of storage reserve accumulation. In a pair of genetically related cultivars, ∼2-fold higher levels of asparaginase B1 protein and activity in seed coat, were associated with high protein concentration, reflecting enhanced flux of nitrogen. Transcript expression analyses attributed this difference to a specific asparaginase gene, ASPGB1a. These results contribute to our understanding of the processes determining protein concentration in soybean seed.

Abstract: Asparagine (Asn) is a major form of nitrogen transported to sink tissues. Results from a previous study have shown that an Arabidopsis mutant lacking asparaginase activity develops relatively normally, highlighting a possible compensation by other types of asparagine metabolic enzymes. Prior studies with barley and tobacco mutants have associated Asn aminotransferase activity with the photorespiratory enzyme, serine (Ser):glyoxylate aminotransferase. This enzyme is encoded by AGT1 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Recombinant N-terminal His-tagged AGT1 purified from Escherichia coli was characterized with Ser, alanine (Ala) and Asn as amino acid donors and glyoxylate, pyruvate and hydroxypyruvate as organic acid acceptors. The V max of AGT1 with Asn was higher than with Ser or Ala by ca. 5- to 20-fold. As a result, the catalytic efficiency (V max/K m) was slightly higher with Asn than with the two other amino acids. In the roots of 10-day-old seedlings treated for 2h with 20mM Asn, the AGT1 transcript levels were raised by 2-fold. During this treatment, the concentration of Asn in root was raised by ca. 5-fold. These results suggest that AGT1 is involved in Asn metabolism in Arabidopsis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]