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. 1987 May;53(5):1168–1170. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.5.1168-1170.1987

Nitrous Oxide Reduction in Nodules: Denitrification or N2 Fixation?

M S Coyne 1,†, D D Focht 1,*
PMCID: PMC203826  PMID: 16347344

Abstract

Detached cowpea nodules that contained a nitrous oxide reductase-positive (Nor+) rhizobium strain (8A55) and a nitrous oxide reductase-negative (Nor−) rhizobium strain (32H1) were incubated with 1% 15N2O (95 atom% 15N) in the following three atmospheres: (i) aerobic with C2H2 (10%), (ii) aerobic without C2H2, and (iii) anaerobic (argon atmosphere) without C2H2. The greatest production of 15N2 occurred anaerobically with 8A55, yet very little was formed with 32H1. Although acetylene reduction activity was slightly higher with 32H1, about 10 times more 15N2 was produced aerobically by 8A55 than by 32H1 in the absence of acetylene. The major reductive pathway of N2O reduction by denitrifying rhizobium strain 8A55 is by nitrous oxide reductase rather than nitrogenase.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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