Abstract
Nitrogen fixing symbioses can be broadly divided by the type of symbiotic bacteria involved: rhizobia, Frankia or cyanobacteria. With the exception of the aquatic plant Azolla (and the specialist adaptation that stem nodules represent) all the symbioses are located within the soil or at the soil surface. Each symbiosis involves one plant and one bacteria and, with the exception of the cyanobacterial symbioses, rbcL sequence analysis (Soltis et al., 1996) groups all the other symbiotic nitrogen-fixing plants within a single broad clade within the dicotyledons. All the symbiotic bacteria are eubacteria. Studies on the physiology of these symbioses have detailed many aspects of the C and N relationships in different examples from these groups. Armed with this knowledge, it is worthwhile to contrast the different evolutionary solutions that provide the mechanisms that supply C to bacteria, assimilate the N fixed and translocate this N within the plant.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Akkermans ADL, Huss-Danell K, Roelofsen W. 1981. Enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the malateaspartate shuttle in the N2 fixing endophyte of Alma glutinosa. Physiologia Plantarum,53, 289–294.
Atkins CA. 1991. Ammonia assimilation and export of nitrogen from the legume nodule. In Biology and Biochemistry of Nurogen Fixation (eds. M.J. Dilworth & A.R. Glenn) pp. 293–311. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Baker A, Dodd CD, and Parsons R. 1996. Identification of amino compounds synthesised and translocated in symbiotic Parasponia. Plant Cell and Environment. In press.
Bensen, DR and Schultz, NA. 1990. Physiology and Biochemistry of Frankia in culture. In: The Biology of Frankia and Actinorhizol Plants. Eds: CR Schwintzer and JD Tjepkema. Academic Press, London.
Day DA and Udvardi, MK. 1993. Metabolite exchange across symbiosome membranes. Symbiosis, 14, 175–189.
Soltis, DE, Soltis, PS, Morgan, DR, Swensen, SM, Mullin, BC, David, JM & Martin, PG. 1996. Chloroplast genesequence data suggest a single origin of the predisposition for symbiotic nitrogen fixation in angiosperms.Proc.Natl. Acad. Sri. USA 92, 2647–2651.
Tyerman SD, Whitehead LF & Day DA. 1995. A channel like transporter for NH4 + on the symbiotic interface of N2 - fixing plants. Nature 378, 629–632.
Werner, D. 1992. Physiology of nitrogen fixing legume nodules: compartments and functions. In Biological Nitrogen Fixation (Eds G Stacey, RH Burris, HI Evans) pp 399–431. Chapman and Hall, New York.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Parsons, R. (1997). Contrasting C Supply, N Assimilation and N Transport Across a Range of Symbiotic Plants. In: Legocki, A., Bothe, H., Pühler, A. (eds) Biological Fixation of Nitrogen for Ecology and Sustainable Agriculture. NATO ASI Series, vol 39. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59112-9_42
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59112-9_42
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-63855-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-59112-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive