Conservation of leghemoglobin heterogeneity and structures in cultivated and wild soybean

Abstract

The leghemoglobins from a genetically diverse selection of 69 cultivated soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivars and plant introductions and 18 wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. & Zucc.) plant introductions all consist of the same set of major leghemoglobins (a, c1, c2, c3), as determined by analytical isoelectric focusing. The conservation of both leghemoglobin heterogeneity and also all four major leghemoglobin structures provides strong circumstantial evidence that leghemoglobin heterogeneity is functional. Glycine max and G. soja produced the same leghemoglobins in the presence of Bradyrhizobium japonicum (Kirchner) Jordan and in the presence of fast-growing Rhizobium japonicum.