Abstract
RHIZOBIA can infect legume roots and fix dinitrogen in the root nodules. Repeated attempts have failed to demonstrate fixation by rhizobia on defined medium or in plant extracts. Rhizobium japonicum grown anaerobically with nitrate produces a haemoprotein pattern similar to that of N2-fixing bacteroids1 and synthesises the Mo–Fe protein of nitrogenase2, but it has seemed that infection of legume cells was a prerequisite for the expression of nitrogenase. It has been shown recently3,4, however, that cowpea Rhizobium 32H1 could fix dinitrogen when grown close to, but not in contact with, callus cultures of legumes or non-legumes. This supported other evidence5,6 that it was the rhizobia which contained the genetic information for nitrogenase, and showed that its expression was promoted by diffusable factors from plant cells.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Daniel, R. M., and Appleby, C. A., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 275, 347–354 (1972).
Bishop, P. E., Evans, H. J., Daniel, R. M., and Hampton, R. O., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 381, 248–256 (1975).
Child, J. J., Nature, 253, 350–351 (1975).
Scowcroft, W. R., and Gibson, A. H., Nature, 253, 351–352 (1975).
Dunican, L. K., and Tierney, A. B., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 57, 62–72 (1973).
Phillips, D. A., Howard, R. L., and Evans, H. J., Physiol. Pl., 28, 248–253 (1973).
Child, J. J., and LaRue, T. A., Pl. Physiol., Lancaster, 53, 88–90 (1974).
Hugh, R., and Leifson, E., J. Bact., 6, 24–26 (1953).
Gordon, J. K., and Brill, W. J., Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun., 59, 967–971 (1974).
Wilson, P. W., in Encyclopaedia of Plant Physiology, VIII, (edit. by Ruhland, W.), (Springer, Berlin, 1958).
Hill, S., Drozd, J. W., and Postgate, J. R., J. appl. Chem. Biotechnol., 22, 541–552 (1972).
Postgate, J. R., The Chemistry and Biochemistry of Nitrogen Fixation (Plenum, London, 1971).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
KURZ, W., LARUE, T. Nitrogenase activity in rhizobia in absence of plant host. Nature 256, 407–409 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/256407a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/256407a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Plant growth regulators improve nitrogen metabolism, yield, and quality of soybean–rhizobia symbiosis
Annals of Microbiology (2023)
-
Proteomic analysis of free-living Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens: highlighting potential determinants of a successful symbiosis
BMC Genomics (2014)
-
Physiological and molecular characterization of locally adapted Rhizobium strains of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) having restricted phage sensitivity
Annals of Microbiology (2012)
-
Host plant genome overcomes the lack of a bacterial gene for symbiotic nitrogen fixation
Nature (2009)
-
Trials to create artificial nitrogen-fixing symbioses and associations using in vitro methods: An outlook
In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant (2001)