Ammonium assimilation mechanisms

Molecular mechanisms of nitrate accumulation depend not only on the nitrate reductase system, but also on the ability of roots to take from the soil, nitrate or ammonium ions, and on the plant s capacity for their conversion by assimilation processes to higher products. Besides this, the assimilation depends on the ability of a given genotype to transport substances necessary for the synthesis. It was shown that genotype differences of the nitrate reductase level do not depend on the nitrate content in tissues [25]. Nitrates are accumulated in plant organisms at high concentrations when aU the nitrogen accepted cannot be utilized for the production of amino acids and for subsequent protein synthesis [26]. This occurs when the plant, in the course of its metabolism, is unable to reduce the accepted nitrates into the assimilable ammonia form. 

In summary, there appears to be evidence for both mechanisms of NH3/NH4 transport in bacterial cells. Passive difiFusion of NH3 would not generally lead to net accumulation by cells with an alkaline interior pH relative to the medium pH. Passive diffusion would be rate-limited by the low level of NH3 available at physiological pH and by the solubility properties of the cell membrane. NH4 active transport would be required for net ammonium uptake. However, net nitrogen accumulation could be accomplished by rapid assimilation of internal ammonia into amino acids. Net accumulation might be limited by the balance of the two processes uptake by active transport vs. loss by passive diffusion. 

---