Altering ureide transport in nodulated soybean results in whole-plant adjustments of metabolism, assimilate partitioning, and sink strength.

Legumes develop a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that are housed in root nodules and fix atmospheric di-nitrogen (N) to ammonia. In soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.

Role of ureides in source-to-sink transport of photoassimilates in non-fixing soybean.

Nitrogen (N)-fixing soybean plants use the ureides allantoin and allantoic acid as major long-distance transport forms of N, but in non-fixing, non-nodulated plants amino acids mainly serve in source-to-sink N allocation. However, some ureides are still synthesized in roots of non-fixing soybean, and our study addresses the role of ureide transport processes in those plants. In previous work, legume ureide permeases (UPSs) were identified that are involved in cellular import of allantoin and allantoic acid.

Increasing Nitrogen Fixation and Seed Development in Soybean Requires Complex Adjustments of Nodule Nitrogen Metabolism and Partitioning Processes.

Legumes are able to access atmospheric di-nitrogen (N2) through a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia that reside within root nodules. In soybean, following N2 fixation by the bacteroids, ammonia is finally reduced in uninfected cells to allantoin and allantoic acid [1]. These ureides present the primary long-distance transport forms of nitrogen (N), and are exported from nodules via the xylem for shoot N supply.