Nitrogen assimilation and protein synthesis in wheat seedlings as affected by mineral nutrition. I. Macronutrients.

Deficiencies of each macronutrient (N, P, K, Ca. Mg, S, and Fe) decreased the specific activity of nitrate reductase from Triticum aestivum L. seedlings. Nitrate content was decreased by N, P, K, Ca, and Mg deficiencies and unaffected by S and Fe deficiencies. Glutamic acid dehydrogenase activity was decreased by N, P, and S deficiencies, unchanged by K deficiency, and increased by Ca, Mg, and Fe deficiencies. Glutamine synthetase activity closely paralleled nitrate reductase activity and was decreased by deficiencies of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S. Glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase was not sensitive to macronutrient deficiencies. High (14)C-leucine incorporation into tissue sections of N-, P-, K-, Ca-, and S-deficient seedlings did not appear indicative of protein synthesis rates in intact seedlings. Nutritional deficiencies apparently depleted endogenous amino acid pools and caused less inhibition of exogenous (14)C-leucine incorporation into protein.