Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effectiveness of the symbiosis of Rhizobium leguminosarum on pea and broad bean

  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A comparison is made between Rhizobium leguminosarum strains PRE, effective on both pea and broad bean, and PF2, effective on pea and almost ineffective on broad bean. The former develops regular, branched bacteroids on both hosts. Strain PF2 on pea first develops regular bacteroids which then become spherical. On broad bean, PF2 remains mostly in the rod form though few branched bacteroids are present. Other strains which show the same host-induced morphogenetic development as PF2 are all effective on pea and almost ineffective on broad bean.

Strains PF2 has a labile structure which causes a problem during the preparation of bacteroid suspensions. Mercaptoethanol increases ethylene production by PF2 nodule brei but not by PRE nodule brei. Also sonication strongly increases ethylene production by PF2 nodule brei, and inhibits ethylene production by PRE nodule brei. Molybdenum content of both PRE and PF2 cells (including both bacteroids and bacterial cells) of broad bean nodules is the same. Morphological forms do not seem to be related with nitrogenase activity.

The manuscript was prepared for publication by members of the department.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Reference

  1. Bergersen, F. J., Some properties of nitrogen-fixing breis prepared from soybean root nodules. Biochem. Biophys. Acta 130, 304–312 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Beyerinck, M. W., Die Bakterien der Papilionaceenknöllchen. Bot. Ztg. 46, 726–735 (1888).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chen, H. K. and Thornton, H. G., The structure of ‘ineffective nodules’ and its influence on N2 fixation. Proc. Roy. Soc. B. 129, 208–229 (1940).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Child, J. J., Nitrogen fixation by a Rhizobium sp. in association with non-leguminous plant cell cultures. Nature London 253, 350–351 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Fred, E. B., Baldwin, J. L. and McCoy, E., The root nodule bacteria and leguminous plants. Univ. Wisconsin Studies in Sci. Madison, Wisc. 343 p. (1932).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Gibson, A. H., Child, J. J., Pagan, J. D. and Scowcroft, W. R., The induction of nitrogenase activity in Rhizobium by non-legume plant cells. Planta 128, 283–239 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Griffin, R. L., Ultramicrotomy. Baillière Tindall. London. 93 p. (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Helz, G. E., Baldwin, J. L. and Fred, E. B., Strain variations and host specificity of the root nodule bacteria of the pea group. J. Agric. Res. U.S. 35, 1039–1055 (1927).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Jansen van Rensburg, H., Hahn, J. S. and Strijdom, B. W., Morphological development of Rhizobium bacteroids in nodules of Arachis hypogaea L. Phytophylactica 5, 119–122 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Jordan, D. C., The bacteroids of the genus Rhizobium. Bacteriol. Rev. 26, 119–141 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Lie, T. A., The effect of low pH on different phases of nodule formation on pea plants. Plant and Soil 31, 391–406 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  12. McComb, J. A., Elliot, J. and Dilworth, M. J., Acetylene reduction by Rhizobium in pure culture. Nature London 256, 409–410 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Nobbe, F., Hiltner, L. and Schmid, E., Versuche über die Biologie der Knöllchenbakterien der Leguminosen, insbesondere über die Frage der Arteinheit derselben. Landwirtsch. Vers. Stn. 45, 1–27 (1895).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Scowcroft, W. R. and Gibson, A. H., Nitrogen fixation by Rhizobium associated with tobacco and cow pea cell cultures. Nature London 253, 351–352 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Staphorst, J. L. and Strijdom, B. W., Some observations on the bacteroids in nodules of Arachis spp. and the isolation of Rhizobia from these nodules. Phytophylactica 4, 87–92 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Tjepkema, J. and Evans, H. J., Nitrogen fixation by free-living Rhizobium in a defined liquid medium. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 65, 625–628 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Vincent, J. M., Root nodule symbiosis with Rhizobium. In The Biology of Nitrogen Fixation; ed. A., Quispel North Holland Publishity Co. Amsterdam. pp. 265–341 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Wieringa, K. T. and Bakhuis, J. A., Chromatography as a means of selecting effective strains of Rhizobia. Plant and Soil 8, 254–262 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Wilson, D. O. and Reisenauer, H. M., Determination of leghemoglobin in legume nodules. Anal. Biochem. 6, 27–30 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. E. H. R. Van den Berg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This study was carried out by the late E. H. R. van den Berg (1942–1974) in the Laboratory of Microbiology at Wageningen in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Sciences

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Van den Berg, E.H.R. The effectiveness of the symbiosis of Rhizobium leguminosarum on pea and broad bean. Plant Soil 48, 629–639 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145773

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00145773

Keywords

Search

Navigation