title: Essentiality of Boron for Symbiotic Dinitrogen Fixation in Pea (Pisum sativum) Rhizobium Nodules.
abstract: The effect of boron deficiency on symbiotic nitrogen fixation in pea (Pisum sativum) was examined. The absence of boron in the culture medium resulted in a decrease of the number of nodules and an alteration of nodule development leading to an inhibition of nitrogenase activity. Examination of boron-deficient nodules showed dramatic changes in cell walls and in both peribacteroid and infection thread membranes, suggesting a role for boron in the stability of these structures. These results indicate that boron is a requirement for normal nodule development and functionality.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia (L.B., I.B.), and Departamento de Quimica Agricola (E.E., A.G.), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: L.
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bolanos
authors.forename: E.
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.forename: C.
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Lorenzo
authors.forename: M.
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Pascual
authors.forename: M. R.
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: De Felipe
authors.forename: A.
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garate
authors.forename: I.
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bonilla