Using chemical imaging, we demonstrate that the Legume‐rhizobia bacteroids take up 20‐fold more sulfate than the nodule host cells. Furthermore, we show that nitrogenase biosynthesis relies on high levels of imported sulfate, making sulfur as essential as carbon for the regulation and functioning of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Our findings establish the importance of sulfate and its active transport for the plant‐microbe interaction that is most relevant for agriculture and soil fertility.
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