Inoculation of sugarcane with Pantoea sp. increases amino acid contents in shoot tissues; serine, alanine, glutamine and asparagine permit concomitantly ammonium excretion and nitrogenase activity of the bacterium

Pantoea sp. is an endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacterium isolated from sugarcane tissues. The aim of the present study was to determine the contents of amino acids in sugarcane as a result of inoculation of nodes and nodal roots with Pantoea sp. strain 9C and to evaluate the effects of amino acids on growth, nitrogenase activity and ammonium excretion of the bacterium. Content of almost all amino acids increased in 30-day-old plantlets by root inoculation. The most abundant amino acids in shoot tissues were asparagine and proline, and those in nodal roots were asparagine, proline, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and serine. The bacterium was able to grow on all tested amino acids except histidine, isoleucine and leucine. Nitrogenase Pantoea sp. was partially inhibited by 1, 2 or 5 mmol L −1 and completely inhibited by 10 mmol L −1 of NH 4 + in the media. Pantoea sp. showed nitrogenase activity in 5 mmol L −1 of serine, asparagine, threonine, alanine, proline, tyrosine, valine, methionine, lysine, phenylalanine, cysteine, tryptophan, citrulline and ornithine. Pantoea sp. did not excrete ammonium when it grew in vivo conditions favoring nitrogen fixation; however, ammonium was detected in the supernatant when 5 mmol L −1 asparagine, aspartic acid, alanine, serine or glutamine was added to the medium. The highest ammonium concentration in the supernatant was detected, when Pantoea grew on serine. Ammonium in the supernatant and nitrogenase activity were only detectable concomitantly when the medium was supplemented with serine, alanine, glutamine or asparagine. We discuss roles of amino acids on plant–bacteria interaction during the colonization of sugarcane plants.