Index >> Population Interactions >> Leaf Nodule

Isolates of bacteria that have gained importance in formation of leaf nodules are Mycobacterium rubiacearum, Mycoplana rubra, Flavobacterium species, Bacterium rubiacearum, Phyllobacterium rubiacearum and Klebsiella rubiacearum.

There are not many advantages (for the plants) resulting from this sort of mutualistic interactions apart from the fact that the bacterial partners secrete phytohormones (cytokines) for the growth of the plants. The plants definitely provide shelter and photosynthates for the survival of their bacterial partners. Since they form a stable phyllospheric microflora with the plants, these bacterial partners may also prevent the entry of pathogenic spores from entering through the leaves and establishing themselves