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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Plant Promoter Analysis: Identification and Characterization of Root Nodule Specific Promoter in the Common Bean
Published on: December 23, 2017
Modeling and analysis of diffusion and reaction in legume nodules
G T Jones1, L C Davis, A K Ghosh Hajra
1Department of Chemical Engineering Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA.
Abstract:
Diffusion of gases through legume nodules is important for nitrogen fixation. A mathematical model is presented for diffusion and enzymatic reaction for legume nodules with a reactive core and an inert shell. The transient model is solved numerically for spherical geometry for acetylene reduction by nitrogenase enzyme. The results are used to estimate the diffusivities of acetylene and ethylene in the nodules by comparing predicted and experimental lag times. The experimental results are also analyzed using an effectiveness factor plot for spherical nodules with inert shells and reactive cores. The results show that the diffusivities are slightly higher than those for acetylene and ethylene in water because of some contribution of gas phase diffusion. Applications to oxygen diffusion through nodule tissue are suggested.
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