AOBPreview originally published online on June 26, 2008
Annals of Botany 2009 103(2):259-268; doi:10.1093/aob/mcn100
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Plant mitochondrial function during anaerobiosis
1 Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada, A1B 3X9
2 Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2
* For correspondence. E-mail rhill{at}cc.umanitoba.ca
Received: 28 March 2008 Returned for revision: 29 April 2008 Accepted: 21 May 2008 Published electronically: 27 June 2008
Background: Under hypoxic conditions, plant mitochondria preserve the capacity to oxidize external NADH, NADPH and tricarboxylic acid cycle substrates. Nitrite serves as an alternative electron acceptor at the level of cytochrome oxidase, with possibly complex III and the alternative oxidase also being involved. Nitric oxide is a significant product of the reaction, which has a high affinity for cytochrome c oxidase, inhibiting it. The excess NO is scavenged by hypoxically induced class 1 haemoglobin in the reaction involving ascorbate.
Scope: By using nitrite, mitochondria retain a limited capacity for ATP synthesis. NADH, produced from glycolysis during anaerobiosis and oxidized in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, should shift the composition of metabolites formed during anaerobiosis with increased conversion of pyruvate to alanine and greater involvement of other transamination reactions, such as those involving 
-aminobutyric acid formation.
Conclusions: Anaerobic mitochondrial metabolism may have a more significant role than previously thought in alleviating the effects of anoxia on plant cells. There is a need to re-examine mitochondrial carbon and nitrogen metabolism under anoxia to establish the extent of this involvement.
Key words: Electron transport, haemoglobin, hypoxia, mitochondria, nitric oxide, nitrite reduction
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