Reactive nitrogen metabolism: a novel frontier in plant nitrogen metabolism

A growing body of evidence shows that nitric oxide $({\cdot}NO)$ and ${\cdot}NO-derived$ reactive nitrogen species (RNS) act as both plant physiological regulators and stressors. However, very little is known concerning metabolism of RNS in plant cells. In this paper, we explore a plant metabolic basis for RNS, with special emphasis on the possible relationship to nitrogen assimilation, and discuss the potential of the metabolic engineering for plant-biotechnological application.