Role of ACC deaminase in stress control of leguminous plants

Abstract

Leguminous plants produce grains that are used to feed both animals and humans, and they also play a role in the maintenance of soil fertility. However, under stressful conditions, like other plants, leguminous plants produce high levels of ethylene, a phytohormone known to inhibit both plant development and nodulation. Bacteria that produce 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, which converts ACC (the precursor of ethylene in all higher plants) to ammonia and α-ketobutyrate, can decrease inhibitory plant ethylene levels. Bacterial ACC deaminase plays an important role in plant growth promotion in a variety of stress conditions. This chapter discusses the role of ACC deaminase-containing plant growth-promoting bacteria, including rhizobia and actinomycetes, to improve the growth of legumes in environmentally stressful conditions.