Researchers Identify Gene That Regulates Nitrogen Fixation

Scientists from La Trobe University and partners have identified that the FUN gene regulates the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to usable nutrients.

Legumes, such as peas and beans, coordinate with soil bacteria to transform atmospheric nitrogen into nutrients that will help boost the growth of crops. However, this process is minimized when the soil has plenty of available nitrogen due to natural processes or through the usage of fertilizers.

Researchers screened about 150,000 legume plants with knocked-out genes to analyze how crops switch between nitrogen fixation and soil nitrogen uptake. They discovered Fixation Under Nitrate (FUN), a transcription factor that controls gene expression. Their findings also showed that zinc levels may trigger the activation of FUN, which will stop nitrogen fixation.

“From an agricultural perspective, continued nitrogen fixation could be a beneficial trait that increases nitrogen availability, both for the legume and for future crops that rely on the nitrogen left behind in the soil after legumes are grown,” said Dr. Dugald Reid, lead author of the study. Another research is being conducted to investigate how legume crops perform when FUN is removed.

For more information, read the press release of La Trobe University.