Enhancement of symbiotic dinitrogen fixation by a toxin-releasing plant pathogen

An approximate doubling in plant growth, total plant nitrogen, nodulation, and overall dinitrogen fixation of alfalfa are the consequences of the action of a toxin delivered by a Pseudomonas infesting the alfalfa rhizosphere. The toxin, tabtoxinine-beta-lactam, inactivates selectively one form of gl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1988-08, Vol.241 (4868), p.951-954
Main Authors: Knight, T.J, Langston-Unkefer, P.J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Alfalfa
Ammonia
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Bacteria
Bacterial plant pathogens
Biochemistry
Biological and medical sciences
Economic plant physiology
FIJACION DEL NITROGENO
Fixation
FIXATION DE L'AZOTE
Flowers & plants
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Generalities. Techniques. Transmission, epidemiology, ecology. Antibacterial substances, control
glutamate-ammonia ligase
MEDICAGO SATIVA
Microbial ecology
Microbial toxins
Nitrogen
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen-fixing microorganisms
Nodules
Pathogens
Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection
Plant growth
Plant roots
Plants
PSEUDOMONAS
Pseudomonas syringae
Pseudomonas syringae tabaci
RHIZOBIUM
RHIZOSPHERE
RIZOSFERA
Soil
Symbiosis
Symbiosis (nodules, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycorrhiza...)
tabtoxinine- beta -lactam
TOXINAS
TOXINE
Toxins
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Summary:An approximate doubling in plant growth, total plant nitrogen, nodulation, and overall dinitrogen fixation of alfalfa are the consequences of the action of a toxin delivered by a Pseudomonas infesting the alfalfa rhizosphere. The toxin, tabtoxinine-beta-lactam, inactivates selectively one form of glutamine synthetase in the nodules. Thus, normal glutamine synthetase-catalyzed ammonia assimilation is significantly impaired; yet these plants assimilated about twice the normal amount of nitrogen. How plants regulate dinitrogen fixing symbiotic associations is an important and unresolved question; the current results imply that the glutamine synthetase-catalyzed step in ammonia assimilation, a plant function, strongly influences overall dinitrogen fixation in legumes
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.241.4868.951