Technical report - Rapid measurement of hydrogen concentration and its usein the determination of nitrogenase activity of legume plants

Citation
Z. Dong et al., Technical report - Rapid measurement of hydrogen concentration and its usein the determination of nitrogenase activity of legume plants, SYMBIOSIS, 29(1), 2000, pp. 71-81
Citations number
8
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Biology
Journal title
SYMBIOSIS
ISSN journal
0334-5114 → ACNP
Volume
29
Issue
1
Year of publication
2000
Pages
71 - 81
Database
ISI
SICI code
0334-5114(2000)29:1<71:TR-RMO>2.0.ZU;2-F
Abstract
A method and apparatus for rapidly measuring H-2 concentration in a gas str eam and the use of this instrument to measure nitrogenase activity of a nit rogen fixing plant growing in a non-porous container is described. The meth od does not require that the plants be sealed in their growth pots for gas exchange measurements, but allows these measurements to be made by sampling H2 (a by-product of N-2 fixation) directly from the medium in which the pl ants are grown. Gas containing hydrogen is sampled at the surface of the me dium at a rate approximately equal to the rate of hydrogen diffusion from t he medium, and the sample is passed to a hydrogen sensor where it is measur ed and nitrogenase activity determined therefrom. This allows for very rapi d measurements of nitrogenase activity involving Little or no manipulation of the plant material being studied. As a result, large populations of plan ts may be screened quickly for variations in nitrogenase activity. This met hod would be especially useful for assessing variations in nitrogenase acti vity caused by application of different environmental treatments to a speci fic legume-Rhizobium symbiosis.