Studies of Enzyme Glutamine Synthetase (GS) in Sesuvium Portulacastrum (L.), an Associate Halophyte

Abstract

Sesuvium portulacastrum L. (Aizoaceae) is a pioneer, psammophytic associate halophyte of subtropical, Mediterranean regions. It dominates in coastal and warmer zones of the world. Apart from being utilized as a vegetable by local people and forage for domestic animals in the coastal area, environmentally too it is utilized for the bio-reclamation of saline soil in the arid and semiarid regions. Coastal soils as well as sea water, which permeate the soil characteristically, have a poor content of available nitrogen. In contrast, halophytes which inhabit these areas have high protein content. This is because halophytes have the ability to conserve nitrogen and recycle it through their body metabolism. Efficient enzyme mechanism for Nitrogen metabolism in halophytes has been thoroughly studied and communicated. In present investigation, Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) is used as a model system representing an associate halophyte with efficacy in Nitrogen utilization in saline conditions. To begin with kinetics of enzyme Glutamine synthetase (GS) (EC: 6.3.1.2) is studied in terms of effect of varying temperature, pH and concentration of enzyme and substrate. The same study would be extended to other important enzymes of Nitrogen metabolism to get an insight in efficacy of such halophytes to conserve available Nitrogen from saline soils and help in phytoremediation of saline soils.