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Metabolism and Enzymology

Distribution of ¹⁵N within Pea, Lupin, and Soybean Nodules ¹

Biology Department, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, Plant Molecular Biology, Biotechnology Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Private Bag, Palmerston, New Zealand

The ¹⁵N abundance of some, but not all, legume root nodules is significantly elevated compared to that of the whole plant. It seems probable that differences in ¹⁵N enrichment reflect differences in the assimilatory pathway of fixed N. In that context, we have determined the distribution of naturally occurring ¹⁵N in structural fractions of nodules from soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.), yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus), and pea (Pisum sativum) nodules and in chemical components from soybean nodules and to a lesser extent, pea and lupin nodules. None of the fractions of pea nodules (cortex, bacteriod, or host plant cytoplasm) was enriched in ¹⁵N. The differences among bacteriods, cortex, and plant cytoplasm were smaller in lupin than in soybean nodules, but in both, bacteriods had the highest ¹⁵N enrichment. In soybean nodules, the ¹⁵N abundance of bacteriods and cortex was higher than plant cytoplasm, but all three fractions were more enriched in ¹⁵N than the entire plant. Plant cytoplasm from soybean nodules was fractionated into protein-rich material, nonprotein alcohol precipitable material (NA), and a low molecular weight fraction. The N of the latter was further separated into N of ureides, nucleotides and free amino acids. Most of these components were either similar to or lower in ¹⁵N abundance than the plant cytoplasm as a whole, but the NA fraction showed unusual ¹⁵N enrichment. However, the percentage of nodule N in this fraction was small. NA fractions from yellow lupin and pea nodules and from soybean leaves were not enriched in ¹⁵N. Nor was the NA fraction in ruptured bacteriods and cortical tissue of soybean nodules. Variation among soybean nodule fractions in the preponderance in protein of different amino acids was not large enough to explain the differences in ¹⁵N abundances among them. A hypothesis, consistent with all known data, concerning the mechanism leading to the observed excess ¹⁵N of lupin and soybean bacteriods is offered.