Ammonium and amino acid metabolism in excised leaves of wheat (Triticum aestivum) senescing in the dark

Several parameters of amino acid metabolism were studied in detached primary leaves of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Castell) during a 14 day incubation period in the dark. Protein loss was accompanied by a 5‐fold increase in the total amount of free amino acids during the first 4 days of the incubation period with asparagine being the most important. Beyond this stage a pronounced intracellular accumulation of ammonium occured. A gradual decrease in the levels of free amino acids and ammonium at the later stages of senescence could in part be accounted for by leakage from the leaves. Additionally, some nitrogen was lost due to ammonia volatilization. The rapid decay of the glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2)‐glutamate synthase (Fd‐GOGAT; EC 1.4.7.1) system and the fast decline of glutamate‐pyruvate transaminase (GPT; EC 2.6.1.2) activity appear to be predominant features of senescence in the dark. Decreasing Fd‐GOGAT activity was slightly compensated by a small and temporary increase in the activity of NADH‐GOGAT (EC 1.4.1.14). Glutamateoxalocetate transaminase (GOT: EC 2.6.1.1) activity, although declining continuously, proved to be much more persistent. Changes in glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH; EC 1.4.1.3) activity closely resembled the profile of ammonium evolution in the leaves and NADP‐isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH; EC 1.1.1.42) activity revealed a temporary maximum during the period of rapid increase in GDH activity. Increased activity of GDH could also be induced by exogenous ammonium. Ammonium accumulation could, at least partly, be caused by increased asparaginase (EC 3.5.1.1) activity which accompanied the rapid conversion of asparagine to aspartic acid. Asparagine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.14) activity declined sharply from the beginning of the senescence period. Although the activity profile of glutaminase (EC 3.5.1.2) was similar to that of asparaginase, glutamine was of little importance quantitatively and an analogous relationship between glutamine and glutamic acid could not be detected.