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Experiment were conducted to determine the effect of phosphorus stress on bacteroid content and energy status of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) nodules. Plants inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum MN 110 were grown with P-stressed (0.05 mM-P) and control (1 mM-P) treatment in the greenhouse. Phosphorus stress decreased nodule mass per plant and nodule mass to whole plant mass ratio. Phosphorus concentration in leaf, stem and root tissues were reduced by 75% but in nodule tissue was reduced only by 40% under phosphorus stress during 3 week experimental period. The bacteroid content per unit nodule mass and the distribution of total nitrogen and total phosphorus among the bacteroid and plant cell fractions of nodule were not affected significantly by phosphorus stress. Regardless of phosphorus treatment, 22% of the nitrogen and 27% of the phosphorus in whole nodules were associated with the bacteroid fraction. The ATP and total adenylate concentrations in and energy charge of whole nodule were decreased 77%, 46% and 37%, respectively, by phosphorus stress. The ATP concentration in and energy charge of the host plant cell fraction of nodules were decreased 86% and 59%, respectively, but these parameters in bacteroid in nodules were not affected by phosphorus stress. These results indicated that nodule is a strong phosphorus sink and that nodule growth and development are regulated to maintain a high phosphorus and energy content in bacteroid even when the host plant is subjected to phosphorus deficiency.
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