Nitrate assimilation not only provides inorganic sources of nitrogen for the production of biomolecules but can also protect microbes against host iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) generated nitric oxide (NO) an important factor used by the host to control infection (Kelm, 1999; Lundberg et al., 2004; Cunningham-Bussel et al., 2013; Gouzy et al., 2014). Here, NOS2 is linked to infection.