Effects of Nodulation on Metabolite Concentrations in Xylem Sap and in the Organs of Soybean Plants Supplied with Different N Forms.

The effects of nodulation on N metabolism in soybean plants supplied with various forms of N are not fully understood. Ureides are the principal forms of N transported from nodules, but nitrate and asparagine are the primary N compounds transported from roots supplied with NO 3 - . In this research, the effects of 1-day treatments of NO 3 - , NH 4 + , urea, or NO 3 - + NH 4 + on N metabolite concentrations in xylem sap and each organ were compared between nodulated and non-nodulated soybeans. Capillary electrophoresis and colorimetry were used for the analysis. In the xylem sap of the nodulated plants with an N-free solution, ureides were the major N metabolites, followed by asparagine and glutamine. Ureides concentrations were much lower in the xylem sap of the non-nodulated soybeans. In the NO 3 - treatment, the concentrations of ureides in the xylem sap of the nodulated plants decreased compared to the control plants. In the NH 4 + , urea, and NO 3 - + NH 4 + treatments, the concentrations of asparagine and glutamine increased significantly compared with the control and NO 3 - treatments. Similar changes with the N treatments were observed between the nodulated and non-nodulated soybeans, suggesting that nodulation does not have significant effects on the metabolism of absorbed N in roots.