Different Rates of Synthesis and Degradation of Two Chloroplastic Ammonium-Inducible NADP-Specific Glutamate Dehydrogenase Isoenzymes during Induction and Deinduction in Chlorella sorokiniana Cells.

The kinetics of accumulation (per milliliter of culture) of the alpha- and beta- subunits, associated with chloroplast-localized ammonium inducible nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-specific glutamate dehydrogenase (NADP-GDH) isoenzymes, were measured during a 3 hour induction of synchronized daughter cells of Chlorella sorokiniana in 29 millimolar ammonium medium under photoautotrophic conditions. The beta-subunit holoenzyme(s) accumulated in a linear manner for 3 hours without an apparent induction lag. A 40 minute induction lag preceded the accumulation of the alpha-subunit holoenzyme(s). After 120 minutes, the alpha-subunit ceased accumulating and thereafter remained at a constant level (i.e. steady state between synthesis and degradation). From pulsechase experiments, using (35)SO(4) and immunochemical procedures, the rate of synthesis of the alpha-subunit was shown to be greater than the beta-subunit during the first 80 minutes of induction. The alpha- and beta-subunits had different rates of degradation during the induction period (t((1/2)) = 50 versus 150 minutes, respectively) and during the deinduction period (t((1/2)) = 5 versus 13.5 minutes) after removal of ammonium from the culture. During deinduction, total NADP-GDH activity decreased with a half-time of 9 minutes. Cycloheximide completely inhibited the synthesis and degradation of both subunits. A model for regulation of expression of the NADP-GDH gene was proposed.