Genetic Determinants of Ammonium Excretion in nifL Mutants of Azotobacter vinelandii

Abstract

There is considerable interest in the engineering of ammonium-excreting bacteria for use in agriculture to promote the growth of plants under fixed-nitrogen-limiting conditions. This work defines discrete determinants that bring about A. vinelandii ammonium excretion and demonstrates that strains can be generated through simple gene editing to provide promising biofertilizers capable of transferring nitrogen to crops.