The enigmatic enzyme 'amidoxime reducing component' of Lotus japonicus. Characterization, expression, activity in plant tissues, and proposed role as a nitric oxide-forming nitrite reductase.

Human mitochondria contain a molybdoprotein capable of reducing amidoximes using cytochrome b5/cytochrome b5 reductase (Cb/CbR). This 'amidoxime reducing component' (ARC) also reduces nitrite to nitric oxide (NO). In the plant kingdom, distinct functions have been suggested for ARCs. Thus, the single ARC of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (crARC) reduces nitrite to NO by taking electrons from nitrate reductase (NR). Therefore, it was proposed that a dual NR/crARC system can generate NO under physiological conditions and the crARC was renamed to 'NO-forming nitrite reductase' (NOFNiR). In contrast to this, the two ARC enzymes from Arabidopsis thaliana were not found to produce NO in vitro at physiological nitrite concentrations, suggesting a different, as yet unknown, function in vascular plants. Here, we have investigated the two ARCs of Lotus japonicus (LjARCs) to shed light on this controversy and to examine, for the first time, the distribution of ARCs in plant tissues. The LjARCs are localized in the cytosol and their activities and catalytic efficiencies, which are much higher than those of A. thaliana, are consistent with a role as NOFNiR. LjARCs are prone to S-nitrosylation in vitro by S-nitrosoglutathione and this post-translational modification drastically inhibits their activities. The enzymes are mainly expressed in flowers, seeds and pods, but are absent in nodules. LjARCs are active with NR and Cb/CbR as electron-transferring systems. However, the LjNR mRNA levels in seeds and pods are negligible, whereas our proteomic analyses show that pods contain the two ARCs, Cb and CbR. We conclude that LjARCs may play a role as NOFNiR by receiving electrons from the Cb/CbR system but do not act in combination with NR.

Dynamics of hemoglobins during nodule development, nitrate response, and dark stress in Lotus japonicus.

Legume nodules express multiple leghemoglobins (Lbs) and non-symbiotic hemoglobins (Glbs), but how they are regulated is unclear. Here, we study the regulation of all Lbs and Glbs of Lotus japonicus in different physiologically relevant conditions and mutant backgrounds. We quantified hemoglobin expression, localized reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) in nodules, and deployed mutants deficient in Lbs and in the transcription factors NLP4 (associated with nitrate sensitivity) and NAC094 (associated with senescence). Expression of Lbs and class 2 Glbs was suppressed by nitrate, whereas expression of class 1 and 3 Glbs was positively correlated with external nitrate concentrations. Nitrate-responsive elements were found in the promoters of several hemoglobin genes. Mutant nodules without Lbs showed accumulation of ROS and NO and alterations of antioxidants and senescence markers. NO accumulation occurred by a nitrate-independent pathway, probably due to the virtual disappearance of Glb1-1 and the deficiency of Lbs. We conclude that hemoglobins are regulated in a gene-specific manner during nodule development and in response to nitrate and dark stress. Mutant analyses reveal that nodules lacking Lbs experience nitro-oxidative stress and that there is compensation of expression between Lb1 and Lb2. They also show modulation of hemoglobin expression by NLP4 and NAC094.

Persulfidation of plant and bacteroid proteins is involved in legume nodule development and senescence.

Legumes establish symbiosis with rhizobia forming nitrogen-fixing nodules. The central role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in nodule biology has been clearly established. Recently, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and other reactive sulfur species (RSS) have emerged as novel signaling molecules in animals and plants. A major mechanism by which ROS, RNS, and RSS fulfil their signaling role is the post-translational modification of proteins. To identify possible functions of H2S in nodule development and senescence, we used the tag-switch method to quantify changes in the persulfidation profile of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) nodules at different developmental stages. Proteomic analyses indicate that persulfidation plays a regulatory role in plant and bacteroid metabolism and senescence. The effect of a H2S donor on nodule functioning and on several proteins involved in ROS and RNS homeostasis was also investigated. Our results using recombinant proteins and nodulated plants support a crosstalk among H2S, ROS and RNS, a protective function of persulfidation on redox-sensitive enzymes, and a beneficial effect of H2S on symbiotic nitrogen fixation. We conclude that the general decrease of persulfidation levels observed in plant proteins of aging nodules is one of the mechanisms that disrupt redox homeostasis leading to senescence.

Heme catabolism mediated by heme oxygenase in uninfected interstitial cells enables efficient symbiotic nitrogen fixation in Lotus japonicus nodules.

Legume nodules produce large quantities of heme required for the synthesis of leghemoglobin (Lb) and other hemoproteins. Despite the crucial function of Lb in nitrogen fixation and the toxicity of free heme, the mechanisms of heme homeostasis remain elusive. Biochemical, cellular, and genetic approaches were used to study the role of heme oxygenases (HOs) in heme degradation in the model legume Lotus japonicus. Heme and biliverdin were quantified and localized, HOs were characterized, and knockout LORE1 and CRISPR/Cas9 mutants for LjHO1 were generated and phenotyped. We show that LjHO1, but not the LjHO2 isoform, is responsible for heme catabolism in nodules and identify biliverdin as the in vivo product of the enzyme in senescing green nodules. Spatiotemporal expression analysis revealed that LjHO1 expression and biliverdin production are restricted to the plastids of uninfected interstitial cells. The nodules of ho1 mutants showed decreased nitrogen fixation, and the development of brown, rather than green, nodules during senescence. Increased superoxide production was observed in ho1 nodules, underscoring the importance of LjHO1 in antioxidant defense. We conclude that LjHO1 plays an essential role in degradation of Lb heme, uncovering a novel function of nodule plastids and uninfected interstitial cells in nitrogen fixation.

A transcription factor of the NAC family regulates nitrate-induced legume nodule senescence.

Legumes establish symbioses with rhizobia by forming nitrogen-fixing nodules. Nitrate is a major environmental factor that affects symbiotic functioning. However, the molecular mechanism of nitrate-induced nodule senescence is poorly understood. Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals an NAC-type transcription factor in Lotus japonicus, LjNAC094, that acts as a positive regulator in nitrate-induced nodule senescence. Stable overexpression and mutant lines of NAC094 were constructed and used for phenotypic characterization. DNA-affinity purification sequencing was performed to identify NAC094 targeting genes and results were confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift and transactivation assays. Overexpression of NAC094 induces premature nodule senescence. Knocking out NAC094 partially relieves nitrate-induced degradation of leghemoglobins and abolishes nodule expression of senescence-associated genes (SAGs) that contain a conserved binding motif for NAC094. Nitrate-triggered metabolic changes in wild-type nodules are largely affected in nac094 mutant nodules. Induction of NAC094 and its targeting SAGs was almost blocked in the nitrate-insensitive nlp1, nlp4, and nlp1 nlp4 mutants. We conclude that NAC094 functions downstream of NLP1 and NLP4 by regulating nitrate-induced expression of SAGs. Our study fills in a key gap between nitrate and the execution of nodule senescence, and provides a potential strategy to improve nitrogen fixation and stress tolerance of legumes.

Signaling by reactive molecules and antioxidants in legume nodules.

Legume nodules are symbiotic structures formed as a result of the interaction with rhizobia. Nodules fix atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia that is assimilated by the plant and this process requires strict metabolic regulation and signaling. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are involved as signal molecules at all stages of symbiosis, from rhizobial infection to nodule senescence. Also, reactive sulfur species (RSS) are emerging as important signals for an efficient symbiosis. Homeostasis of reactive molecules is mainly accomplished by antioxidant enzymes and metabolites and is essential to allow redox signaling while preventing oxidative damage. Here, we examine the metabolic pathways of reactive molecules and antioxidants with an emphasis on their functions in signaling and protection of symbiosis. In addition to providing an update of recent findings while paying tribute to original studies, we identify several key questions. These include the need of new methodologies to detect and quantify ROS, RNS, and RSS, avoiding potential artifacts due to their short lifetimes and tissue manipulation; the regulation of redox-active proteins by post-translational modification; the production and exchange of reactive molecules in plastids, peroxisomes, nuclei, and bacteroids; and the unknown but expected crosstalk between ROS, RNS, and RSS in nodules.

Three classes of hemoglobins are required for optimal vegetative and reproductive growth of Lotus japonicus: genetic and biochemical characterization of LjGlb2-1.

Legumes express two major types of hemoglobins, namely symbiotic (leghemoglobins) and non-symbiotic (phytoglobins), with the latter being categorized into three classes according to phylogeny and biochemistry. Using knockout mutants, we show that all three phytoglobin classes are required for optimal vegetative and reproductive development of Lotus japonicus. The mutants of two class 1 phytoglobins showed different phenotypes: Ljglb1-1 plants were smaller and had relatively more pods, whereas Ljglb1-2 plants had no distinctive vegetative phenotype and produced relatively fewer pods. Non-nodulated plants lacking LjGlb2-1 showed delayed growth and alterations in the leaf metabolome linked to amino acid processing, fermentative and respiratory pathways, and hormonal balance. The leaves of mutant plants accumulated salicylic acid and contained relatively less methyl jasmonic acid, suggesting crosstalk between LjGlb2-1 and the signaling pathways of both hormones. Based on the expression of LjGlb2-1 in leaves, the alterations of flowering and fruiting of nodulated Ljglb2-1 plants, the developmental and biochemical phenotypes of the mutant fed on ammonium nitrate, and the heme coordination and reactivity of the protein toward nitric oxide, we conclude that LjGlb2-1 is not a leghemoglobin but an unusual class 2 phytoglobin. For comparison, we have also characterized a close relative of LjGlb2-1 in Medicago truncatula, MtLb3, and conclude that this is an atypical leghemoglobin.

Unusually Fast bis-Histidyl Coordination in a Plant Hemoglobin.

The recently identified nonsymbiotic hemoglobin gene MtGlb1-2 of the legume Medicago truncatula possesses unique properties as it generates four alternative splice forms encoding proteins with one or two heme domains. Here we investigate the ligand binding kinetics of MtGlb1-2.1 and MtGlb1-2.4, bearing two hemes and one heme, respectively. Unexpectedly, the overall time-course of ligand rebinding was unusually fast. Thus, we complemented nanosecond laser flash photolysis kinetics with data collected with a hybrid femtosecond-nanosecond pump-probe setup. Most photodissociated ligands are rebound geminately within a few nanoseconds, which leads to rates of the bimolecular rebinding to pentacoordinate species in the 108 M-1s-1 range. Binding of the distal histidine to the heme competes with CO rebinding with extremely high rates (kh ~ 105 s-1). Histidine dissociation from the heme occurs with comparable rates, thus resulting in moderate equilibrium binding constants (KH ~ 1). The rate constants for ligation and deligation of distal histidine to the heme are the highest reported for any plant or vertebrate globin. The combination of microscopic rates results in unusually high overall ligand binding rate constants, a fact that contributes to explaining at the mechanistic level the extremely high reactivity of these proteins toward the physiological ligands oxygen, nitric oxide and nitrite.

Genetics of nodulation in Aeschynomene evenia uncovers mechanisms of the rhizobium-legume symbiosis.

Among legumes (Fabaceae) capable of nitrogen-fixing nodulation, several Aeschynomene spp. use a unique symbiotic process that is independent of Nod factors and infection threads. They are also distinctive in developing root and stem nodules with photosynthetic bradyrhizobia. Despite the significance of these symbiotic features, their understanding remains limited. To overcome such limitations, we conduct genetic studies of nodulation in Aeschynomene evenia, supported by the development of a genome sequence for A. evenia and transcriptomic resources for 10 additional Aeschynomene spp. Comparative analysis of symbiotic genes substantiates singular mechanisms in the early and late nodulation steps. A forward genetic screen also shows that AeCRK, coding a receptor-like kinase, and the symbiotic signaling genes AePOLLUX, AeCCamK, AeCYCLOPS, AeNSP2, and AeNIN are required to trigger both root and stem nodulation. This work demonstrates the utility of the A. evenia model and provides a cornerstone to unravel mechanisms underlying the rhizobium-legume symbiosis.

Molecular responses of legumes to abiotic stress: post-translational modifications of proteins and redox signaling.

Legumes include several major crops that can fix atmospheric nitrogen in symbiotic root nodules, thus reducing the demand for nitrogen fertilizers and contributing to sustainable agriculture. Global change models predict increases in temperature and extreme weather conditions. This scenario might increase plant exposure to abiotic stresses and negatively affect crop production. Regulation of whole plant physiology and nitrogen fixation in legumes during abiotic stress is complex, and only a few mechanisms have been elucidated. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), and reactive sulfur species (RSS) are key players in the acclimation and stress tolerance mechanisms of plants. However, the specific redox-dependent signaling pathways are far from understood. One mechanism by which ROS, RNS, and RSS fulfil their signaling role is the post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins. Redox-based PTMs occur in the cysteine thiol group (oxidation, S-nitrosylation, S-glutathionylation, persulfidation), and also in methionine (oxidation), tyrosine (nitration), and lysine and arginine (carbonylation/glycation) residues. Unraveling PTM patterns under different types of stress and establishing the functional implications may give insight into the underlying mechanisms by which the plant and nodule respond to adverse conditions. Here, we review current knowledge on redox-based PTMs and their possible consequences in legume and nodule biology.

A Plant Gene Encoding One-Heme and Two-Heme Hemoglobins With Extreme Reactivities Toward Diatomic Gases and Nitrite.

In plants, symbiotic hemoglobins act as carriers and buffers of O2 in nodules, whereas nonsymbiotic hemoglobins or phytoglobins (Glbs) are ubiquitous in tissues and may perform multiple, but still poorly defined, functions related to O2 and/or nitric oxide (NO). Here, we have identified a Glb gene of the model legume Medicago truncatula with unique properties. The gene, designated MtGlb1-2, generates four alternative splice forms encoding Glbs with one or two heme domains and 215-351 amino acid residues. This is more than double the size of any hemoglobin from plants or other organisms described so far. A combination of molecular, cellular, biochemical, and biophysical methods was used to characterize these novel proteins. RNA-sequencing showed that the four splice variants are expressed in plant tissues. MtGlb1-2 is transcriptionally activated by hypoxia and its expression is further enhanced by an NO source. The gene is preferentially expressed in the meristems and vascular bundles of roots and nodules. Two of the proteins, bearing one or two hemes, were characterized using mutants in the distal histidines of the hemes. The Glbs are extremely reactive toward the physiological ligands O2, NO, and nitrite. They show very high O2 affinities, NO dioxygenase activity (in the presence of O2), and nitrite reductase (NiR) activity (in the absence of O2) compared with the hemoglobins from vertebrates and other plants. We propose that these Glbs act as either NO scavengers or NO producers depending on the O2 tension in the plant tissue, being involved in the fast and fine tuning of NO concentration in the cytosol in response to sudden changes in O2 availability.

Hemoglobins in the legume-Rhizobium symbiosis.

Legume nodules have two types of hemoglobins: symbiotic or leghemoglobins (Lbs) and nonsymbiotic or phytoglobins (Glbs). The latter are categorized into three phylogenetic classes differing in heme coordination and O2 affinity. This review is focused on the roles of Lbs and Glbs in the symbiosis of rhizobia with crop legumes and the model legumes for indeterminate (Medicago truncatula) and determinate (Lotus japonicus) nodulation. Only two hemoglobin functions are well established in nodules: Lbs deliver O2 to the bacteroids and act as O2 buffers, preventing nitrogenase inactivation; and Glb1-1 modulates nitric oxide concentration during symbiosis, from the early stage, avoiding the plant's defense response, to nodule senescence. Here, we critically examine early and recent results, update and correct the information on Lbs and Glbs with the latest genome versions, provide novel expression data and identify targets for future research. Crucial unresolved questions include the expression of multiple Lbs in nodules, their presence in the nuclei and in uninfected nodule cells, and, intriguingly, their expression in nonsymbiotic tissues. RNA-sequencing data analysis shows that Lbs are expressed as early as a few hours after inoculation and that their mRNAs are also detectable in roots and pods, which clearly suggests that these heme proteins play additional roles unrelated to nitrogen fixation. Likewise, issues awaiting investigation are the functions of other Glbs in nodules, the spatiotemporal expression profiles of Lbs and Glbs at the mRNA and protein levels, and the molecular mechanisms underlying their regulation during nodule development and in response to stress and hormones.

Plant hemoglobins: a journey from unicellular green algae to vascular plants.

Globins (Glbs) are widely distributed in archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes. They can be classified into proteins with 2/2 or 3/3 α-helical folding around the heme cavity. Both types of Glbs occur in green algae, bryophytes and vascular plants. The Glbs of angiosperms have been more intensively studied, and several protein structures have been solved. They can be hexacoordinate or pentacoordinate, depending on whether a histidine is coordinating or not at the sixth position of the iron atom. The 3/3 Glbs of class 1 and the 2/2 Glbs (also called class 3 in plants) are present in all angiosperms, whereas the 3/3 Glbs of class 2 have been only found in early angiosperms and eudicots. The three Glb classes are expected to play different roles. Class 1 Glbs are involved in hypoxia responses and modulate NO concentration, which may explain their roles in plant morphogenesis, hormone signaling, cell fate determination, nutrient deficiency, nitrogen metabolism and plant-microorganism symbioses. Symbiotic Glbs derive from class 1 or class 2 Glbs and transport O2 in nodules. The physiological roles of class 2 and class 3 Glbs are poorly defined but could involve O2 and NO transport and/or metabolism, respectively. More research is warranted on these intriguing proteins to determine their non-redundant functions.

Corrigendum: A Plant Gene Encoding One-Heme and Two-Heme Hemoglobins With Extreme Reactivities Toward Diatomic Gases and Nitrite.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.600336.].

Altered Plant and Nodule Development and Protein S-Nitrosylation in Lotus japonicus Mutants Deficient in S-Nitrosoglutathione Reductases.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a crucial signaling molecule that conveys its bioactivity mainly through protein S-nitrosylation. This is a reversible post-translational modification (PTM) that may affect protein function. S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) is a cellular NO reservoir and NO donor in protein S-nitrosylation. The enzyme S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) degrades GSNO, thereby regulating indirectly signaling cascades associated with this PTM. Here, the two GSNORs of the legume Lotus japonicus, LjGSNOR1 and LjGSNOR2, have been functionally characterized. The LjGSNOR1 gene is very active in leaves and roots, whereas LjGSNOR2 is highly expressed in nodules. The enzyme activities are regulated in vitro by redox-based PTMs. Reducing conditions and hydrogen sulfide-mediated cysteine persulfidation induced both activities, whereas cysteine oxidation or glutathionylation inhibited them. Ljgsnor1 knockout mutants contained higher levels of S-nitrosothiols. Affinity chromatography and subsequent shotgun proteomics allowed us to identify 19 proteins that are differentially S-nitrosylated in the mutant and the wild-type. These include proteins involved in biotic stress, protein degradation, antioxidant protection and photosynthesis. We propose that, in the mutant plants, deregulated protein S-nitrosylation contributes to developmental alterations, such as growth inhibition, impaired nodulation and delayed flowering and fruiting. Our results highlight the importance of GSNOR function in legume biology.

CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of leghemoglobin genes in Lotus japonicus uncovers their synergistic roles in symbiotic nitrogen fixation.

Legume nodules contain high concentrations of leghemoglobins (Lbs) encoded by several genes. The reason for this multiplicity is unknown. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to generate stable mutants of the three Lbs of Lotus japonicus. The phenotypes were characterized at the physiological, biochemical and molecular levels. Nodules of the triple mutants were examined by electron microscopy and subjected to RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis. Complementation studies revealed that Lbs function synergistically to maintain optimal N2 fixation. The nodules of the triple mutants overproduced superoxide radicals and hydrogen peroxide, which was probably linked to activation of NADPH oxidases and changes in superoxide dismutase isoforms expression. The mutant nodules showed major ultrastructural alterations, including vacuolization, accumulation of poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate and disruption of mitochondria. RNA-seq of c. 20 000 genes revealed significant changes in expression of carbon and nitrogen metabolism genes, transcription factors, and proteinases. Lb-deficient nodules had c. 30-50-fold less heme but similar transcript levels of heme biosynthetic genes, suggesting a post-translational regulatory mechanism of heme synthesis. We conclude that Lbs act additively in nodules and that the lack of Lbs results in early nodule senescence. Our observations also provide insight into the reprogramming of the gene expression network associated with Lb deficiency, probably as a result of uncontrolled intracellular free O2 concentration.

Phytoglobins in the nuclei, cytoplasm and chloroplasts modulate nitric oxide signaling and interact with abscisic acid.

Symbiotic hemoglobins provide O2 to N2 -fixing bacteria within legume nodules, but the functions of non-symbiotic hemoglobins or phytoglobins (Glbs) are much less defined. Immunolabeling combined with confocal microscopy of the Glbs tagged at the C-terminus with green fluorescent protein was used to determine their subcellular localizations in Arabidopsis and Lotus japonicus. Recombinant proteins were used to examine nitric oxide (NO) scavenging in vitro and transgenic plants to show S-nitrosylation and other in vivo interactions with NO and abscisic acid (ABA) responses. We found that Glbs occur in the nuclei, chloroplasts and amyloplasts of both model plants, and also in the cytoplasm of Arabidopsis cells. The proteins show similar NO dioxygenase activities in vitro, are nitrosylated in Cys residues in vivo, and scavenge NO in the stomatal cells. The Cys/Ser mutation does not affect NO dioxygenase activity, and S-nitrosylation does not significantly consume NO. We demonstrate an interaction between Glbs and ABA on several grounds: Glb1 and Glb2 scavenge NO produced in stomatal guard cells following ABA supply; plants overexpressing Glb1 show higher constitutive expression of the ABA responsive genes Responsive to ABA (RAB18), Responsive to Dehydration (RD29A) and Highly ABA-Induced 2 (HAI2), and are more tolerant to dehydration; and ABA strongly upregulates class 1 Glbs. We conclude that Glbs modulate NO and interact with ABA in crucial physiological processes such as the plant's response to dessication.

Stably Transformed Lotus japonicus Plants Overexpressing Phytoglobin LjGlb1-1 Show Decreased Nitric Oxide Levels in Roots and Nodules as Well as Delayed Nodule Senescence.

The class 1 phytoglobin, LjGlb1-1, is expressed in various tissues of the model legume Lotus japonicus, where it may play multiple functions by interacting with nitric oxide (NO). One of such functions is the onset of a proper symbiosis with Mesorhizobium loti resulting in the formation of actively N2-fixing nodules. Stable overexpression lines (Ox1 and Ox2) of LjGlb1-1 were generated and phenotyped. Both Ox lines showed reduced NO levels in roots and enhanced nitrogenase activity in mature and senescent nodules relative to the wild-type (WT). Physiological and cytological observations indicated that overexpression of LjGlb1-1 delayed nodule senescence. The application to WT nodules of the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-dl-penicillamine (SNAP) or the phytohormones abscisic acid (ABA) and the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) repressed nitrogenase activity, induced the expression of three senescence-associated genes and caused cytological changes evidencing nodule senescence. These effects were almost completely reverted by the NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide. Our results reveal that overexpression of LjGlb1-1 improves the activity of mature nodules and delays nodule senescence in the L.japonicus-M.loti symbiosis. These beneficial effects are probably mediated by the participation of LjGlb1-1 in controlling the concentration of NO that may be produced downstream in the phytohormone signaling pathway in nodules.

Sulfate is transported at significant rates through the symbiosome membrane and is crucial for nitrogenase biosynthesis.

Legume-rhizobia symbioses play a major role in food production for an ever growing human population. In this symbiosis, dinitrogen is reduced ("fixed") to ammonia by the rhizobial nitrogenase enzyme complex and is secreted to the plant host cells, whereas dicarboxylic acids derived from photosynthetically produced sucrose are transported into the symbiosomes and serve as respiratory substrates for the bacteroids. The symbiosome membrane contains high levels of SST1 protein, a sulfate transporter. Sulfate is an essential nutrient for all living organisms, but its importance for symbiotic nitrogen fixation and nodule metabolism has long been underestimated. Using chemical imaging, we demonstrate that the bacteroids take up 20-fold more sulfate than the nodule host cells. Furthermore, we show that nitrogenase biosynthesis relies on high levels of imported sulfate, making sulfur as essential as carbon for the regulation and functioning of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Our findings thus establish the importance of sulfate and its active transport for the plant-microbe interaction that is most relevant for agriculture and soil fertility.