title: Nodulation and nitrogen fixation by Mimosa spp. in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes of Brazil.
abstract: *An extensive survey of nodulation in the legume genus Mimosa was undertaken in two major biomes in Brazil, the Cerrado and the Caatinga, in both of which there are high degrees of endemicity of the genus. *Nodules were collected from 67 of the 70 Mimosa spp. found. Thirteen of the species were newly reported as nodulating. Nodules were examined by light and electron microscopy, and all except for M. gatesiae had a structure typical of effective Mimosa nodules. The endosymbiotic bacteria in nodules from all of the Mimosa spp. were identified as Burkholderia via immunolabelling with an antibody against Burkholderia phymatum STM815. *Twenty of the 23 Mimosa nodules tested were shown to contain nitrogenase by immunolabelling with an antibody to the nitrogenase Fe- (nifH) protein, and using the delta(15)N ((15)N natural abundance) technique, contributions by biological N(2) fixation of up to 60% of total plant N were calculated for Caatinga Mimosa spp. *It is concluded that nodulation in Mimosa is a generic character, and that the preferred symbionts of Brazilian species are Burkholderia. This is the first study to demonstrate N(2) fixation by beta-rhizobial symbioses in the field.
authors.affiliation: Embrapa Cerrados, Planaltina, 73301-970, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fábio Bueno
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Dos Reis
authors.affiliation: Embrapa Cenargen, Brasília, 70770-901, DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, km 16, Ilhéus 45662-900 BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.affiliation: Embrapa Agrobiologia, km 47, Seropédica, 23851-970, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Boddey
authors.affiliation: The Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Geoffrey N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Agronomia, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, 78060-900, MT, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nicolau E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Agronomia, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, 78060-900, MT, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Fatima Loureiro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana 44031-460 BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciano P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: de Queiroz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Rita
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Scotti
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung Marine University, Kaohsiung City 811, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Sweden.
authors.forename: Agneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Norén
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrición Vegetal, Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.affiliation: Embrapa Agrobiologia, km 47, Seropédica, 23851-970, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sergio M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: de Faria
authors.affiliation: UMR1128 Génétique et Microbiologie, Nancy-Université, INRA, Boulevard des Aiguillettes BP70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bontemps
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology 3, University of York, PO Box 373, York YO10 5YW, UK.
authors.forename: Silvia R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Goi
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Instituto de Florestas, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, 23890-000, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: J Peter W
authors.initials: JPW
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at SCRI, DD2 5DA, UK.
authors.forename: Janet I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Sprent
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK.|Present address: Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK.
authors.forename: Euan K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D000114:Acetylene / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001938:Brazil; D017753:Ecosystem; D005843:Geography; D031298:Mimosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation / Q000502:physiology*; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D055170:Plant Root Nodulation / Q000502:physiology*; D012231:Rhizobium / Q000502:physiology; D053204:Root Nodules, Plant / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C029130:nitrogenase reductase; D000114:Acetylene
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