This investigation was performed to study the influence of Cd and nitrate on growth, and chlorophyll and photosynthetic enzymes in seedling of tobacco. Growth inhibition by Cd was not recovered by nitrate. Chlorophyll levels were reduced by Cd. The combination of Cd and low concentration of nitrate decreased the chlorophyll content compared to that in plants exposed only to Cd. Activity and content of rubisco at Cd treatment was significantly lesser than in plants receiving no treatment, These data suggest that rubisco activity was associated with an amount of rubisco protein, and that the activation and synthesis of rubisco is inhibited by Cd. Both the activity and content of rubisco decreased by Cd were more decreased by nitrate. A similar change pattern was also observed in activity and content of rubisco activase. These results suggest that Cd- and nitrate-induced changes of rubisco could be correlated with rubisco activase, and that nitrate was concerned in not only the activation and synthesis of rubisco directly, but also rubisco activase leading to a large change in rubisco.