Nitrogen fixing activity in Rhizobium japonicum separated from plant cell cultures

Induced by soy bean tissue cultures in socalled "tissue chambers", Rhizobium japonicum str. 61-A-96 developed nitrogenase activity separated from the plant cells. The activity proceded for 48 h with a rate of 1 X 10(-8) nmol C2H4h-1 cell-1, which is about 6% of the activity measured for bacteroids from Rhizobium japonicum in nodules of Glycine max.