Enzymatic regulation of pyricline nucleotide formation, under symbiotic and non-symbiotic conditions, was analyzed using soybeans (Glycine max L. cv. 'Akisengoku') and rhizobia (Bradyrhizobia japonicum strain A1017), respectively. It was found that levels of pyridine nucleotides in bacteroids in root nodules were different from those in free-living cells of rhizobia. This difference was associated with differences in activities of enzymes involved in the pathway from L-tryptophan to NAD and NADP. That is, these activities were lower in bacteroids than in free-living bacteria and lower in the nodule cytosol than in root extracts. The optimum pH for NAD synthetase in bacteroids, was 9.0. Additionally, the optimum pH for ATP-nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) adenyltransferase, final step enzyme in NAD formation, was estimated to be 7.6. In the bacteroid fraction, the K(m) of NAD synthetase (22 microM) was approximately 1/22 of that of ATP-NMN adenyltransferase (482 microM). Vmax values were estimated to be almost in the same order for both NAD synthetase and ATP-NMN adenyltransferase. This is the first report on the formation of pyridine nucleotides originating from L-tryptophan in bacteroids in soybean nodules and free-living bacteria.