Response of nitrate reductase activity and NIA genes expression in roots of Arabidopsis hxk1 mutant treated with selected carbon and nitrogen metabolites

• Treatment of Arabidopsis with Suc and 2-OG increase NR activity.
• Stimulation by Suc and 2-OG was lower in hxk1 mutant roots.
• Action of C metabolites on NR requires an appropriate hexose's phosphates level.
• Glc treatment did not mimic Suc-mediated NR activation in WT and hxk1 mutant roots.

In plants sugar sensing and signal transduction involves pathways dependent or independent on HXK1 as a glucose sensor. Research was conducted to determine which pathway is responsible for regulation of the nitrate reduction. The effect of selected carbon and nitrogen metabolites on nitrate reductase (NR) activity in Arabidopsis thaliana wild type (WT) and hxk1 mutant roots was studied. Exogenously supplied sugar, sucrose (Suc) and organic acid, 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG) led to an increase in the total and actual activity of NR. It was due to both the increase in expression of NIA genes and NR activation state. The stimulatory effect of Suc and 2-OG on nitrate reduction was less pronounced in hxk1 mutant roots with T-DNA insertion in the AtHXK1 gene encoding hexokinase1 (HXK1) and characterized by reduced hexokinase activity and root level of G6P and F6P. On the other hand, it was shown that exogenous glucose did not mimic Suc-mediated NR activation in Arabidopsis roots. Taken together, this data suggest that the Suc signaling pathway might be independent from hexose's sensor dependent mechanism.