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Location of diazotrophs in the root interior with special attention to the kallar grass association

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Book cover Nitrogen Fixation with Non-Legumes

Part of the book series: Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences ((DPSS,volume 35))

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that nitrogen-fixing bacteria are able to colonize the interior of grass roots. Several techniques have been used to demonstrate the sites of colonization and are discussed. Among the techniques useful for specific labelling, gold-labelled reagents have been frequently successfully applied in other fields. We propose the use of the protein A-gold technique coupled with silver amplification and light microscopy to render diazotrophs visible in semi-thin sections of roots, and we have applied this technique to gnotobiotically grown kallar grass. LR white resin soft grade was a suitable resin for embedding. Diazotrophic rods predominating in the endorhizosphere of naturally growing kallar grass had the potential to colonize the aerenchyma of gnotobiotically-grown plants. Penetration by the bacteria probably occurred at epidermal cell junctions and at points of emergence of lateral roots, as also proposed for Azospirillum. Larger cell aggregates described by us for naturally occurring kallar grass plants were not detected in the gnotobiotic system. Physiological consequences of colonization of the aerenchyma are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biophysics, University of Hannover, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, D-3000, Hannover 21, Germany

    Barbara Reinhold & T. Hurek

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  1. Barbara Reinhold
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  2. T. Hurek
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK

    F. A. Skinner

  2. EMBRAPA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    R. M. Boddey

  3. University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    I. Fendrik

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© 1989 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Reinhold, B., Hurek, T. (1989). Location of diazotrophs in the root interior with special attention to the kallar grass association. In: Skinner, F.A., Boddey, R.M., Fendrik, I. (eds) Nitrogen Fixation with Non-Legumes. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 35. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0889-5_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0889-5_25

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6888-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-0889-5

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