Re: What do Fabaceae do with the oxygen they bind in symbiotic nitrogen fixation??

Date: Sun Oct 14 18:23:21 2001
Posted By: David Hershey, Faculty, Botany, NA
Area of science: Botany
ID: 991388995.Bt

Message:


Legumes that have symbiotic nitrogen fixation use leghemoglobin to bind oxygen 
to keep the oxygen level low for proper functioning of the nitrogenase enzyme. 
However, the nitrogen-fixing bacteria have a high oxygen requirement so the 
leghemoglobin also serves their oxygen needs and in so doing "recycles" the 
oxygen. 

References


Leghemoglobin


Nitrogen Fixation

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