Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Nitrification by plants that also fix nitrogen.

Charles R Hipkin1, Deborah J Simpson, Stephen J Wainwright

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK. c.r.hipkin@swansea.ac.uk

Nature
|July 2, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Assessment of physiochemical properties and concentration of heavy metals in agricultural soils fertilized with chemical fertilizers.

Heliyon·2020
Same author

Tree-ring isotopes suggest atmospheric drying limits temperature-growth responses of treeline bristlecone pine.

Tree physiology·2019
Same author

Influence of flanking homology and insert size on the transformation frequency of Acinetobacter baylyi BD413.

Environmental biosafety research·2007
Same author

Transformation of Acinetobacter baylyi in non-sterile soil using recombinant plant nuclear DNA.

Environmental biosafety research·2007
Same author

Purification and characterisation of an antifreeze protein from Forsythia suspensa (L.).

Cryobiology·2005
Same journal

Daily briefing: 'Cyborg' cockroaches breathe underwater with printed suit.

Nature·2026
Same journal

China boosts prestigious grants for young scientists - will it ease competition?

Nature·2026
Same journal

Incoming US science academy chief vows to 'double down' on research.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Author Correction: Synthesis of enantioenriched atropisomers by biocatalytic deracemization.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Electrodeposited self-assembled molecules for perovskite photovoltaics.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Neutrino's nursery found: the 'Shadow Blaster'.

Nature·2026
See all related articles

Certain legumes can perform nitrification, transforming atmospheric nitrogen gas into nitrates within their shoots. This previously unknown process in plants contributes to soil nitrogen, impacting plant community ecology and biodiversity.

Area of Science:

  • Biogeochemistry
  • Plant Ecology
  • Microbial Ecology

Background:

  • Nitrification is a crucial step in the nitrogen cycle, converting nitrogen into oxidized inorganic forms.
  • Chemoautotrophic prokaryotes and fungi are known drivers of nitrification, but not photoautotrophic plants.
  • Nitrate availability significantly influences primary productivity, plant community structure, and biodiversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential for nitrification in photoautotrophic plants.
  • To explore the biochemical and ecological evidence for plant-driven nitrification.
  • To describe a novel pathway for oxidized inorganic nitrogen generation in plants.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of nitrogen transformation in specific legume species accumulating 3-nitropropionic acid.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Tracking the generation and soil return of oxidized inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and nitrite) in plant litter.
  • Investigating the potential link between nitrogen fixation and nitrate production within the plant.

    • Main Results:

    • Certain legumes were found to generate oxidized inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and nitrite) in their shoots.
    • This internally generated nitrogen is returned to the soil via plant litter.
    • In nitrogen-fixing legumes, the newly produced nitrate and nitrite can originate from assimilated atmospheric nitrogen gas.
    • This demonstrates nitrification occurring within a single photoautotrophic organism.

    Conclusions:

    • A previously undescribed mechanism of nitrification by photoautotrophic plants (legumes) has been identified.
    • This plant-driven nitrification represents a novel feature of the global nitrogen cycle.
    • This finding has significant implications for understanding plant community ecology, biodiversity, and soil nitrogen dynamics.