Structure and function of Frankia vesicles in dinitrogen fixing actinorhizal plants

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7192111· OSTI ID:7192111

Torrey, J G

Frankia, a filamentous bacterium which induces N{sub 2}-fixing root nodules on the roots of a wide range of woody dicotyledonous plants, is the first known actinomycete which fixes dinitrogen when growing in free-living culture. The nitrogenase enzyme is induced in many strains of this organism by withholding fixed nitrogen compounds from its nutrient medium. Our studies have concerned the physiology, biochemistry and structural development of the N{sub 2}-fixing apparatus in Frankia grown in vitro and in root nodules of host plants. Diverse strains of Frankia were isolated and cultured from different host plants and vesicle form and function were studied. Two strains were studied, HFPArI3, an isolate from nodules of the red alder Alnus rubra and HFPCcI3 isolated from root nodules of the tropical tree Casuarina cunninghamiana. The goal was to understand the structure and function which leads to optimum effectiveness for dinitrogen fixation. 13 refs.

• Research Organization: Harvard Univ., Petersham, MA (USA). Harvard Forest
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-84ER13198
• OSTI ID: 7192111
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/13198-4; ON: DE90009460
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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& Toxicology-- Animals
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINOMYCES
AEROBIC CONDITIONS
BACTERIA
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENZYMES
FRANKIA
KINETICS
MICROORGANISMS
MYCORRHIZAS
NITRO-GROUP DEHYDROGENASES
NITROGEN FIXATION
NITROGENASE
OXIDOREDUCTASES
PROGRESS REPORT
REACTION KINETICS
ROOTS
STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS
SYMBIOSIS