Nitrogenase activity decay and energy supply in <i>Frankia</i> after addition of ammonium to the host plant <i>Alnus incana</i>

Huss‐Danell, Kerstin; Hahlin, Ann-Sofi

doi:10.1111/j.1399-3054.1988.tb02047.x

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(7 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…1) corroborates earlier studies which indicated that the loss of in vivo activity in response to plant stress was due to loss of active nitrogenase rather than shortage of reductant and ATP (8,10,22). Loss of active nitrogenase was concluded since the nitrogenase activity of nodule homogenates, supplemented with dithionite and Mg-ATP, from treated plants were inhibited compared with control plants.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…This was the case for Frankia-Alnus symbioses after addition of ammonium (8, 1 1), drought stress (22), darkening and defoliation (10,25), and decreased temperature (12). In some of these studies, nitrogenase activity of intact plants (in vivo) and nitrogenase activity in vitro were measured (8,10,22). In vitro activity was measured on root nodule homogenates supplied with Mg-ATP and the electron donor dithionite.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Nitrogenase Activity and Amounts of Nitrogenase Proteins in a Frankia-Alnus incana Symbiosis Subjected to Darkness

Lundquist¹,

Huss‐Danell²

1991

Plant Physiol.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Effects of prolonged darkness on nitrogenase activity in vivo, nitrogenase activity in vitro, and the amounts of nitrogenase proteins were studied in symbiotic Frankia. Plants of Alnus incana (L.) Moench in symbiosis with a local source of Frankia were grown for 9 to 10 weeks in an 18/6 hour light/darkness cycle. After 12 hours of a light period, the plants were exposed to darkness for up to 40 hours. Nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction activity) of intact plants was measured repeatedly. Frankia vesicle clusters were prepared from the nodules with an anaerobic homogenization and filtration technique and were used for measurements of in vitro nitrogenase activity and for measurements of the amounts of nitrogenase proteins on Western blots. Antisera made against dinitrogenase reductase (Fe-pro- A reduced amount of active nitrogenase can be due to inactivation or degradation not compensated for by synthesis or a combination of these possibilities. To distinguish among them, it is necessary to determine the amounts of nitrogenase protein during a stress treatment. Since nitrogenase consists of two proteins, dinitrogenase reductase (Fe-protein) and dinitrogenase (MoFe-protein), both necessary for activity, the amounts of both proteins have to be determined. In this paper, we describe immunological techniques used to quantify the Fe-protein and the MoFe-protein of Frankia in symbiosis with Alnus incana (L.) Moench exposed to prolonged darkness. MATERIAL AND METHODS Plant Material, Frankia and Growth ConditionsA clone of gray alder, Alnus incana (L.) Moench, was used (9). One-leaf internode cuttings were rooted, inoculated with a water suspension of crushed root nodules containing a local source of Frankia (phenotypically spore (+), hydrogen uptake activity (-) in symbiosis; [11,21]), planted into pots with gravel, and grown in a climate chamber as described previously (9) but with the following modifications. The concentration of NH4NO3 was reduced to 0.036 mm, and, after 3 weeks, nitrogen was omitted from the nutrient solution. The plants received a continuous supply of the nutrient solution, fourfold diluted, distributed to the plants with an air-lift system. Twelve plants shared 20 L of the recirculated solution which was renewed twice a week. After 4 weeks, the plants were transferred to a climate chamber with higher photosynthetic photon flux density (600 ,mol-m-2-s-' at plant level)and an 18/6 h cycle of light and temperature (25°C/15°C) with a 1-h transition period from day to night conditions and vice versa. Plants were used 9 to 10 weeks after inoculation and had an average leaf area of 730 (range 330-1120) cm2 and an average height of 66 (range 53-84) cm.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogenase Activity and Amounts of Nitrogenase Proteins in a Frankia-Alnus incana Symbiosis Subjected to Darkness

Lundquist¹,

Huss‐Danell²

1991

Plant Physiol.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Mechanisms for decreased nitrogenase activity following additions of nitrate to legumes have been proposed to involve either carbohydrate deprivation of nodules or nitrite inhibition of nitrogenase activity (see Parsons et al, 1993 for review). In the case of addition of ammonium to Alnus incana, decreased nitrogenase activity could not be explained solely by limited energy supply to nitrogenase (Huss-Danell & Hahlin, 1988), and, of course, any theories on nitrite effects are not relevant to ammonium treatments. Recently, a mechanism involving feedback of phloem N on nitrogenase activity was proposed for legume nodules (Parsons et al, 1993).…”

Section: Mineral Nutritionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…From the earliest studies N was reported to inhibit Ng fixation in actinorhizal nodules (Rodriguez-Barrueco, Mackintosh & Bond, 1970). In Alnus incana, both total nitrogenase activity and nitrogenase-catalysed Hg evolution were decreased by additions of ammonium (Huss-Danell et al, 19826;Huss-Danell & Hahlin, 1988). The decreased activity measured in intact plants was accompanied by degradation of vesicles (Huss-Danell et al, 19826) and loss of active nitrogenase (Huss-Danell & Hahlin, 1988).…”

Section: Mineral Nutritionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Actinorhizal symbioses and their N₂ fixation

1997

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

summary More than 200 angiosperms, distributed in 25 genera, develop root nodule symbioses (actinorhizas) with soil bacteria of the actinomycetous genus Frankia. Although most soils studied contain infective Frankia, cultured strains are available only after isolation from root nodules. Frankia infects roots via root hairs in some hosts or via intercellular penetration in others. The nodule originates in the pericycle. The number of nodules in Alnus is determined by the plant in an autoregulated process that, in turn, is modulated by nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate. Except in the genera Allocausarina and Casuarina, Frankia in nodules develops so‐called vesicles where nitrogenase is localized. Sporulation of Frankia occurs in some symbioses. As a group, actinorhizal plants show a large range of anatomical and biochemical adaptations in order to balance the oxygen tension near nitrogenase. In symbioses with well aerated nodule tissue like Alnus, the vesicles have a multilayered envelope composed mainly of lipids, bacterio‐hopanetetrol and their derivatives. This envelope is assumed to retard the diffusion of oxygen into the nitrogenase‐containing vesicle. In symbioses like Casuarina, the infected plant cells themselves, rather than Frankia, appear to retard oxygen diffusion, and high concentrations of haemoglobin indicate an infected region with a low oxygen tension. At least in Alnus spp., ammonia resulting from N2 fixation is assimilated by glutamine synthetase in the plant. The carbon compound(s) used by Frankia in nodules is not yet known. Nitrogenase activity decreases in response to a number of environmental factors but recovers upon return to normal conditions. This dynamism in nitrogenase activity is often explained by loss and recovery of active nitrogenase and has been traced to loss and recovery of the nitrogenase proteins themselves. Recovery is partly due to growth of Frankia and to development of new vesicles in the Alnus nodules. In the field, varying conditions continuously affect the plants and the measured rate of N2 fixation is a result not only of the conditions prevailing at the moment but also of the conditions experienced over preceding days. N2 fixed by actinorhizal plants is substantial and actinorhizal plants have great potential in soil reclamation and in various types of forestry. Several species are also useful in horticulture.

show abstract

“…Symbiotic N 2 fixation decreases in Alnus spp. subjected experimentally to high concentrations of N (Huss- Danell and Hahlin 1988). However, small, incremental N additions may maintain or even stimulate fixation in Alnus spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symbiotic N2 fixation of Alnus incana ssp. rugosa in shrub wetlands of the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA

2001

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Surface waters in forested watersheds in the Adirondack Mountains and northern New York State are susceptible to nitrogen (N) saturation. Atmospheric deposition of N to watersheds in this region has been measured but the extent of internal N inputs from symbiotic N fixation in alder-dominated wetlands is not known. We estimated N fixation by speckled alder in these wetlands by the N natural abundance method and by acetylene reduction using a flow-through system. Foliar N derived from fixation (%N) was estimated for five wetlands. The δN of speckled alder foliage from four of the five sites did not differ significantly (P≤0.05) from that of nodulated speckled alders grown in N-free water culture (-1.2±0.1‰). Estimates from the N natural abundance method indicated that alders at these sites derive 85-100% of their foliar N from N fixation. At one of the sites, we also measured biomass and N content and estimated that the alder foliage contained 43 kg N ha of fixed N in 1997. This estimate was based on a foliar N content of 55.4±7 kg N ha (mean±SE), 86±4%N, and an assumption that 10% of foliar N was derived from reserves in woody tissues. At this site, we further estimated via acetylene reduction that 37±10 kg N ha was fixed by speckled alders in 1998. This estimate used the theoretical 4:1 CH reduction to N fixation ratio and assumed no night-time fixation late in the season. Nitrogen inputs in wet and dry deposition at this site are approximately 8 kg N ha year. We conclude that speckled alder in wetlands of northern New York State relies heavily on N fixation to meet N demands, and symbiotic N fixation in speckled alders adds substantial amounts of N to alder-dominated wetlands in the Adirondack Mountains. These additions may be important for watershed N budgets, where alder-dominated wetlands occupy a large proportion of watershed area.

show abstract

Nitrogenase activity decay and energy supply in Frankia after addition of ammonium to the host plant Alnus incana

Cited by 10 publications

References 22 publications

Nitrogenase Activity and Amounts of Nitrogenase Proteins in a Frankia-Alnus incana Symbiosis Subjected to Darkness

Nitrogenase Activity and Amounts of Nitrogenase Proteins in a Frankia-Alnus incana Symbiosis Subjected to Darkness

Actinorhizal symbioses and their N₂ fixation

Symbiotic N2 fixation of Alnus incana ssp. rugosa in shrub wetlands of the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Nitrogenase activity decay and energy supply in Frankia after addition of ammonium to the host plant Alnus incana

Cited by 10 publications

References 22 publications

Nitrogenase Activity and Amounts of Nitrogenase Proteins in a Frankia-Alnus incana Symbiosis Subjected to Darkness

Nitrogenase Activity and Amounts of Nitrogenase Proteins in a Frankia-Alnus incana Symbiosis Subjected to Darkness

Actinorhizal symbioses and their N2 fixation

Symbiotic N2 fixation of Alnus incana ssp. rugosa in shrub wetlands of the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Actinorhizal symbioses and their N₂ fixation