Figure 2. Kinetics of reproductive fitness of Fix⁺ or Fix^- nodule bacteria following single-inoculation of M. pudica.

(A) Fix⁺ (CBM382) or Fix^- (CBM2568) C. taiwanensis were inoculated on M. pudica. Box plots represent the distribution of the number of bacteria recovered per nodule on plates. Box plots were constructed as described in Figure 1. R, ratios of the median number of Fix⁺ bacteria per nodule on the median number of Fix^- bacteria per nodule. The number of nodules analyzed at each time point is indicated in brackets. The number of plants analyzed at each time point is indicated in red. Results are from two independent experiments (Figure 2—source data 1). *Significantly different from the number of Fix⁺ bacteria per nodule (p<0.05 multiple comparison test after Kruskal-Wallis). (B, C) Theoretical reproductive fitness of Fix⁺ (B) and Fix^- bacteria (C) following single-inoculation of M. pudica as compared to experimental data. Dotted lines represent bacterial populations per plant averaged over 200 replicate simulations (Figure 2—source data 2). Box plots represent the distribution of the number of bacteria experimentally recovered per plant. Experimental data are from (A).