Two dissimilar subspecies of Bradyrhizobium japonicum (USDA 110 and 26) differ in ammonia (NH3) assimilation and symbiotic indoleacetic acid (IAA) production. Free-living cultures of type-strain USDA 26 grow on NH3 as a sole N source and take up an NH3 analog, methylamine, whereas USDA strain 110 does neither. Although both strains nodulate soybean effectively, root nodules infected with symbiont 26 contain 0.3-1.1 μg IAA per gram fresh weight. Nodules infected by tryptophan catabolic variants 4b and 20d, derived from strain 26, also elicit an increased IAA content, two- to fourfold (2.0-3.9 μg · g-1). In contrast, nodules infected with the dissimilar subspecies (strains 110 and 123) contain significantly less IAA. © 1990 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.