G. Herrada et al., HOW IS LEGHEMOGLOBIN INVOLVED IN PERIBACTEROID MEMBRANE DEGRADATION DURING NODULE SENESCENCE, FEBS letters, 326(1-3), 1993, pp. 33-38
An increase in the rate of succinate and glutamate uptake by isolated
symbiosomes from French bean nodules was observed in the presence of i
ron plus H2O2. The lipid bilayer, and not proteins involved in transpo
rt, seems to be the major target of radical attack. Leghemoglobin in t
he presence of a 6-fold excess of H2O2 (where heme breakdown and iron
release occurred) provoked also an increase in peribacteroid membrane
permeability. In contrast, this hemoprotein in the presence of a 2-fol
d excess of H2O2 (where a protein radical was generated) was without e
ffect. We suggest that in vivo the release of heme iron may constitute
the major process concerning the involvement of leghemoglobin in the
degradation of the peribacteroid membrane during nodule senescence,