AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

Nitrogen is an indispensable element for plants and animals to be able to synthesise essential biological compounds such as amino acids and nucleotides. Although there is plenty of nitrogen in the form of nitrogen gas (N2) in the Earth s atmosphere, it is not readily available to plants but needs to be converted (fixed) into ammonia before it can be utilised. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria living freely in the soil or in symbiotic association with legume plants, fix N2 into ammonia used by the plants. This is known as biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). In contrast to industrial nitrogen fixation, an energy-demanding process using high temperature and pressure to produce chemical fertilizers, BNF makes use of solar energy alone to complete the same reaction. However, the requirements on compatibility of plants and nitrogen-fixing micro-organism, the rate of conversion and the ability of the micro-organisms to survive in stressful environments are limiting factors of this system. The current demand for more sustainable food production makes BNF an attractive alternative. However, optimization of existing BNF systems as well as development of new highly productive ones is necessary, to be able to replace the use of chemical fertilisers. In order to develop new alternatives, we need to gain more knowledge on the requirements set by both plants and micro-organisms for successful and efficient nitrogen fixation to occur. In this thesis, the nitrogen-fixing legume host Galega (goat s rue) and its symbiotic microbial partner Neorhizobium galegae were used as a model system to investigate the features defining good symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Studies of genetic diversity within the host plant showed that there are genetic traits making a distinction between the two species G. orientalis and G. officinalis, both at a whole-genome level and at the level of specific symbiosis-related genes. Genome sequencing of ten strains of N. galegae provided a useful dataset for studying i) the genomic features separating N. galegae from related nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobia) and ii) the genetically encoded characteristics that divide strains of N. galegae into two separate symbiovars (symbiotic variants that show different phenotypes on the two different Galega host plant species). These studies provided new information on genes possibly involved in determining host specificity and efficiency of nitrogen fixation. In addition, previously unrecognised genetic contents provided insight into the ecology of N. galegae. Most importantly, genome sequencing enabled identification of the noeT gene, responsible for acetylation of the N. galegae Nod factor (signal molecule required for symbiosis). Although the noeT gene did not turn out to be the crucial determinant enabling nodulation of Galega spp. as previously anticipated, these results are important for future studies on mechanisms behind the selectiveness (host specificity) observed in nitogen-fixing symbioses between Galega and N. galegae. Växter och djur är beroende av kväve för att…