1. Nitrogenase activity of a strain of Azotobacter chroococcum lacking the structural genes of Monitrogenase (nifHDK) was associated with a V+Fe-containing protein and an Fe-containing protein [Robson, Eady, Richardson, Miller, Hawkins & Postgate (1986) Nature (London) 322, 388-390; Eady, Robson, Richardson, Miller & Hawkins (1987) Biochem. J. 244, 197-207]. 2. The Fe protein was purifed to hom...

Growth and utilization of different phenolic acids present in olive mill wastewater (OMW) by Azotobacter chroococcum were studied in chemically defined media. Growth and utilization of phenolic acids were only detected when the microorganism was cultured on p-hydroxybenzoic acid at concentration from 0.01% to 0.5% (w/v) and protocatechuic acid at concentration from 0.01% to 0.3% (w/v) as sole c...

Soil salinity problems are widespread around the globe with increased risk of spreading over the years. The fungus Piriformospora indica, identified in Indian Thar desert, colonizes the roots of monocotyledon plants and provides resistance towards biotic as well as abiotic stress conditions. We have identified a cyclophilin A-like protein from P. indica (PiCypA), which shows higher expression l...

Nucleotide sequence was obtained for a region of 7,099 bp spanning the nifU, nifS, nifV, nifW, nifZ, and nifM genes from Azotobacter chroococcum. Chromosomal mutations constructed at several sites within the locus confirmed a requirement for this region for expression of the molybdenum nitrogenase in this organism. The genes are tightly clustered and ordered as in Klebsiella pneumoniae except f...

Two genetically distinct flavodoxins, designated AcFldA and AcFldB, were isolated from Azotobacter chroococcum (MCD1155) grown under nitrogen-fixing conditions. AcFldA and AcFldB differ in their midpoint potentials for the semiquinone-hydroquinone couple (Em -305 mV and -520 mV respectively). Only AcFldB was competent to act as an electron donor to the Mo-containing nitrogenase of A. chroococcu...

The fungus Piriformospora indica was first isolated from plants growing in arid, hot desert conditions and has been shown to have significant potential as a biocontrol and biofertilising organism in barley under optimal growth conditions. However, it was not thought to be effective in plants grown in low temperatures and has consequently not been well tested in cold-stressed crops. This study s...

Piriformospora indica is an endophytic fungus of Sebacinaceae which colonizes the roots of many plant species and confers benefits to the hosts. We demonstrate that approximately 75% of the genes, which respond to P. indica in Arabidopsis roots, differ among seedlings grown on normal phosphate (Pi) or Pi limitation conditions, and among wild-type and the wrky6 mutant impaired in the regulation ...