The metabolic control of the interaction between Arabidopsis N-acetyl-L-glutamate kinase (NAGK) and the PII protein has been studied. Both gel exclusion and affinity chromatography analyses of recombinant, affinity-purified PII (trimeric complex) and NAGK (hexameric complex) showed that NAGK strongly interacted with PII only in the presence of Mg-ATP, and that this process was reversed by 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG). Furthermore, metabolites such as arginine, glutamate, citrate, and oxalacetate also exerted a negative effect on the PII-NAGK complex formation in the presence of Mg-ATP. Using chloroplast protein extracts and PII affinity chromatography, NAGK interacted with PII only in the presence of ATP-Mg2+, and this process was antagonized by 2-OG. These results reveal a complex metabolic control of the PII interaction with NAGK in the chloroplast stroma of higher plants. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.