Legume haemoglobins: symbiotic nitrogen fixation needs bloody nodules

Curr Biol. 2005 Mar 29;15(6):R196-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2005.03.007.

Abstract

How do plants create an environment in which symbiotic bacteria can reduce enough N2 to provide the plant with sufficient ammonium for growth? Gene silencing has now been used to show that legume haemoglobins are crucial.

Publication types

  • Comment
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / metabolism*
  • Fabaceae / genetics
  • Fabaceae / microbiology
  • Fabaceae / physiology*
  • Leghemoglobin / genetics
  • Leghemoglobin / metabolism*
  • Nitrogen / metabolism
  • Nitrogenase / metabolism
  • Oxygen / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / cytology
  • Plant Roots / metabolism*
  • Plant Roots / microbiology
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / metabolism
  • RNA Interference*
  • Symbiosis*

Substances

  • Leghemoglobin
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
  • Nitrogenase
  • Nitrogen
  • Oxygen