The occurrence of infected cells, with persistent infection threads, in legume root nodules

A survey of the structure of nodules from primitive legume trees was conducted. All genera examined in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae, some from the Papilionoideae, but none from the Mimosoideae had cells in the central, nitrogen-fixing region in which bacteria were confined by host cell wall material in structures resembling infection threads. However, infection of these cells occurred by intercellular spread of rhizobia rather than by infection threads. It is suggested that infection threads may have evolved in infected cells and later extended to early stages of the infection process including entry into root hairs.