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Nodulation and nitrogen fixation by Mimosa spp. in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes of Brazil

  1. Fábio Bueno dos Reis Jr1,
  2. Marcelo F. Simon2,
  3. Eduardo Gross3,
  4. Robert M. Boddey4,
  5. Geoffrey N. Elliott5,
  6. Nicolau E. Neto6,
  7. M. de Fatima Loureiro6,
  8. Luciano P. de Queiroz7,
  9. Maria Rita Scotti8,
  10. Wen-Ming Chen9,
  11. Agneta Norén10,
  12. Maria C. Rubio11,
  13. Sergio M. de Faria4,
  14. Cyril Bontemps12,
  15. Silvia R. Goi13,
  16. J. Peter W. Young14,
  17. Janet I. Sprent15,
  18. Euan K. James16,17

Article first published online: 22 APR 2010

DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03267.x

Issue

New Phytologist

New Phytologist

Volume 186, Issue 4, pages 934–946, June 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

dos Reis Jr, F. B., Simon, M. F., Gross, E., Boddey, R. M., Elliott, G. N., Neto, N. E., de Fatima Loureiro, M., de Queiroz, L. P., Scotti, M. R., Chen, W.-M., Norén, A., Rubio, M. C., de Faria, S. M., Bontemps, C., Goi, S. R., Young, J. P. W., Sprent, J. I. and James, E. K. (2010), Nodulation and nitrogen fixation by Mimosa spp. in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes of Brazil. New Phytologist, 186: 934–946. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03267.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Embrapa Cerrados, Planaltina, 73301-970, DF, Brazil

  2. 2

    Embrapa Cenargen, Brasília, 70770-901, DF, Brazil

  3. 3

    Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, km 16, Ilhéus 45662-900 BA, Brazil

  4. 4

    Embrapa Agrobiologia, km 47, Seropédica, 23851-970, RJ, Brazil

  5. 5

    The Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK

  6. 6

    Faculdade de Agronomia, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, 78060-900, MT, Brazil

  7. 7

    Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana 44031-460 BA, Brazil

  8. 8

    Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

  9. 9

    Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung Marine University, Kaohsiung City 811, Taiwan

  10. 10

    Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Sweden

  11. 11

    Departamento de Nutrición Vegetal, Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain

  12. 12

    UMR1128 Génétique et Microbiologie, Nancy-Université, INRA, Boulevard des Aiguillettes BP70239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France

  13. 13

    Department of Biology 3, University of York, PO Box 373, York YO10 5YW, UK

  14. 14

    Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Instituto de Florestas, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, 23890-000, RJ, Brazil

  15. 15

    Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at SCRI, DD2 5DA, UK

  16. 16

    College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK

  17. 17

    Present address: Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK

*Author for correspondence: E. K. James Tel: +44 1382 560017 Email: euan.james@scri.ac.uk

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 10 MAY 2010
  2. Article first published online: 22 APR 2010
  3. Received: 14 December 2009, Accepted: 3 February 2010

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Keywords:

  • beta-rhizobia;
  • Burkholderia;
  • campo rupestre;
  • Cupriavidus taiwanensis;
  • nitrogenase;
  • 15N natural abundance;
  • Pantanal

Summary

  • •
    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 δ15N (15N natural abundance) technique, contributions by biological N2 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 N2 fixation by beta-rhizobial symbioses in the field.
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