Abstract
The nitrogenase activity (N2-fixation) ofAzospirillum isolated from the root region of C4 Digitaria, Chloris, Cynodon, Dichanthium, Lasiurus andCenchrus growing in different tracts of Rajasthan, was studied in spot batch cultures on sodium malate medium both under air and 1% oxygen at regular intervals of 24 h for a span of 7 days. The morphological and cultural characteristics ofAzospirillum strains belonging tolipoferum andbrasilense group (both nir+ and nir−) have also been studied. The strains oflipoferum group performed better and exhibited more N2-ase activity on agar surface under 1% O2 and associated with the roots compared to the strains ofbrasilense group.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahmad M H 1979 Nitrogenase activity associated with roots of tropical grasses;Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 94 363–369
Becking J H 1985 Pleomorphism inAzospirillum; inAzospirillum III:Genetics, physiology and ecology (ed.) W Klingmüller (Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer Verlag) p 262
Berggold R and Werner D 1987 Sucrose uptake in anAzospirillum lipoferum isolated fromSorghum rhizospheres;Angew. Bot. 61 347–358
Cohen E, Okon Y, Kigel J, Nur I and Henis Y 1980 Increase in dry weight and total nitrogen inZea mays andSetaria italica associated with nitrogen-fixingAzospirillum spp;Plant Physiol. 66 746–749
Day J M, Neeves M C P and Döbereiner J 1975 Nitrogenase activity in the roots of tropical forage grasses;Soil Biol. Biochem. 7 102–112
Döbereiner J and Day J M 1975 Nitrogen fixation in the rhizosphere of tropical grasses; inNitrogen fixation by free-living microorganisms (ed.) W D P Stewart (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) vol. 6, pp 39–56
Döbereiner J and Day J M 1976 Associative symbioses in tropical grasses; characterization of microorganisms and nitrogen fixing sites; inSymposium on nitrogen fixation (eds) W E Newton and C J Nyman (Washington: University Press) vol. 2, pp 518–538
Favilli F, Belloni W, Cresta E and Messini A 1983Azospirillum spp. Ecology of Italian soils;Proceedings Advances in Nitrogen Fixation (Holland: Waganingen) pp 339–340
Gibson A H 1968 Nodulation failure inTrifolium subterraneum (Woogene llup syn. Marrar);Aust. J. Agric. Res. 19 907–918
Herbert D, Phipps P J and Strange R E 1971 Chemical analysis of microbial cells;Methods Microbiol. 35 209–244
Jagnow G 1983 Nitrogen fixation ofAzospirillum lipoferum, Klebsiella andEnterobacter spp. from cereal roots in liquid and semisolid media at different temperatures and oxygen concentrations;Experientia suppl. 48 127–137
Okon Y, Albrecht S L and Burris R H 1976 Factors affecting growth and nitrogen fixation ofSpirillum lipoferum;J. Bacteriol. 127 1248–1254
Papen H and Werner D 1980 Biphasic nitrogenase activity inAzospirillum brasilense in long lasting batch cultures;Arch. Microbiol. 128 209–214
Papen H and Werner D 1982 Organic acid utilization, succinate excretion encystation and oscillating nitrogenase activity inAzospirillum brasilense under microaerobic conditions;Arch. Microbiol. 132 57–61
Patriquin D G and Döbereiner J 1978 Light microscopy observations of tetrazolium reducing bacteria in the endorhizosphere of maize and other grasses in Brazil;Can. J. Microbiol. 24 734–742
Postage J R, Eady R R, Dixon R A, Hill S, Kalrn D, Kennedy C, Patridge P, Robson R and Yates M G 1981 Some aspects of the physiology of dinitrogen fixation; inBiology of inorganic nitrogen and sulfer (eds) H Bothe and A Trebet (Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer Verlag) pp 103–115
Smith D and Patriquin D G 1978 Survey of Angiosperms inNova scotia for rhizosphere nitrogenase (acetylene-reduction) activity;Can. J. Bot. 56 2218–2223
Tarrand J J, Krieg N R and Döbereiner J 1978 Taxonomic study ofSpirillum lipoferum group, with descriptions of a new genus,Azospirillum gen. nov. and two speciesAzospirillum lipoferum (Beijerinck) Coms. nov. andAzospirillum brasilense sp. nov;Can. J. Microbiol. 24 967–980
Wilcockson J and Werner D 1976 Nitrogenase activity byKlebsiella andRhizobium on solid substrata exposed to air;Ber. Dtsch. Bot. Ges. 89 587–607
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rao, V.M., Jayshree, Lal, B. et al. N2-fixation (N2-ase activity) inAzospirillum strains. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 98, 483–488 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03053405
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03053405