Nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in root nodules of legumes

There’s a surprisingly fine line between bacterial symbiosis and chronic infection. While one is beneficial and the other detrimental, recent findings suggest that they share mechanisms for sidestepping host defenses. Plants in the pea family (legumes) have symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria that are closely related to bacteria that cause abortions in cattle and debilitating chronic infections in people… (more)

PLoS Biology, 2011