Adaptation of Nitrogen Fixation by Intact Soybean Nodules to Altered Rhizosphere pO21

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The N2-fixing legume nodule requires O2 for ATP production; however, the O2 sensitivity of nitrogenase dictates a requirement for a low pO2 inside the nodule. The effects of long term exposures to various pO2s on N2[C2H2] fixation were evaluated with intact soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr., var. Wye) plants. Continuous exposure of their rhizosphere to a pO2 of 0.06 atmospheres initially reduced nitrogenase activity by 37 to 45% with restoration of original activity in 4 to 24 hours and with no further change in tests up to 95 hours; continuous exposure to 0.02 atmosphere of O2 initially reduced nitrogenase activity 72%, with only partial recovery by 95 hours. Similar exposures to a pO2 of 0.32 atmospheres had little effect on N2[C2H2] fixation; a pO2 of 0.89 atmospheres initially reduced nitrogenase activity by 98% with restoration to only 14 to 24% of that of the ambient O2 controls by 95 hours. Re-exposure to ambient pO2 of plants adapted to nonambient pO2s reduced N2[C2H2] fixation to similar magnitudes as the reductions which occurred upon initial exposure to variant pO2 conditions, and a time period was required to readapt to ambient O2. It is concluded that the N2[C2H2]-fixing system of intact soybean plants is able to adapt to a wide range of external pO2s as probably occur in soil. We postulate that this occurs through an undefined mechanism which enables the nodule to maintain an internal pO2 optimal for nitrogenase activity.

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